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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. object — to protest
  4. last — to go on
  5. object — a thing
  6. charge — in control
  7. object — an aim
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. charge — a price
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. net — for catching
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. last — finally
  18. pitch — completely
  19. last — final
  20. charge — electricity
  21. prune — to trim
  22. net — after costs
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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