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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mate — a partner
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rush — hurry
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. drill — army training
  21. mate — a friend
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rush — to hurry

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