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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. degree — temperature
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rock — music
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. foot — a measure
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rock — a stone
  24. degree — from a university

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