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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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 an elephant
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bass — the fish
  6. game — a match
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. game — wild animals
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. roll — a cake
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fine — high quality
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fine — all right
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lie — an untruth

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