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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. fall — to drop
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fall — the season
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rock — music
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fine — all right
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pitch — completely

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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