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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pitch — completely
  5. suit — in cards
  6. vault — a safe
  7. ground — the earth
  8. net — for catching
  9. rock — a stone
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ground — crushed
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rock — music
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. ground — a position
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. swing — in golf
  21. suit — clothes
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. swing — music
  24. net — after costs

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