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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. last — finally
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitch — completely
  14. spring — of water
  15. mug — a cup
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mug — to rob
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. suit — in cards
  24. mug — a face

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