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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ground — crushed
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. charge — a price
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ground — the earth
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. swing — music
  13. game — a match
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. swing — to play on
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ground — a position
  21. bulb — for light
  22. swing — in golf
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bulb — of a plant

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