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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. scale — size or range
  4. season — in sport
  5. scale — in music
  6. tube — a container
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. game — a match
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. season — of the year
  17. squash — to crush
  18. game — wild animals
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. tube — the underground
  23. squash — the sport
  24. trunk — of a tree

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