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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. present — the time now
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. present — there
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. present — a gift
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chair — a leader
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fan — a supporter

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