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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. craft — boats
  11. pitch — completely
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pop — to visit
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pop — music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pop — soda
  23. hand — in cards
  24. tear — from crying

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