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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pitch — completely
  5. spring — of water
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bear — the animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. saw — the tool
  16. degree — temperature
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bear — the animal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. saw — the tool
  24. spring — a coil

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