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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wound — an injury
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. club — a group
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. club — for golf
  21. stand — to bear
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mate — to breed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com