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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rash — a series
  7. bear — the animal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mark — a grade
  10. charge — a price
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pitch — completely
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. charge — in control
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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