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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. board — to get on
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pitch — completely
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bore — to drill
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. object — an aim
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — to protest
  19. game — wild animals
  20. object — a thing
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. wound — an injury
  24. arm — part of the body

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