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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 116 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bound — certain
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lean — to bend
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. club — for golf
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. lean — thin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bound — obliged
  24. club — for dancing

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