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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. ground — crushed
  8. prune — to trim
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pitch — completely
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. club — a group
  21. object — a thing
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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