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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. game — a match
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. toast — bread
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bat — the animal
  10. root — of a word
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mug — a face
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pitch — completely
  20. root — the cause
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. root — of a plant
  23. mug — to rob
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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