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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pit — in a race
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bat — the animal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. season — in sport
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. chest — of your body
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pit — a hole
  16. firm — steady
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. season — of the year
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. chest — a box

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