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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. field — for sport
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. rush — hurry
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. staff — a stick
  12. field — a subject
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. staff — employees
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. field — farmland
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. march — music
  20. staff — employees
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pitch — a sports field

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