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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · toast · land · row · foot · trunk · present · pitch

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. present — there
  3. foot — a measure
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. present — a gift
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. land — a country
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. row — to paddle
  12. toast — bread
  13. row — a line
  14. land — ground
  15. present — the time now
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. land — to come down

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