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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. suit — clothes
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. chip — for betting
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. capital — money
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. suit — to fit
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. capital — a city
  22. suit — in cards
  23. chip — to eat
  24. deal — an agreement

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