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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 124 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. band — a music group
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. band — a ring
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. current — happening now
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. current — electric
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bat — the animal
  24. current — of water

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