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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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. net — after costs
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. net — for catching
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pass — a permit
  13. swing — to play on
  14. net — in sport
  15. craft — boats
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. craft — a skill

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