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

Word bank: trunk · ground · bear · ruler · pitch · court · mate · last

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ground — the earth
  7. last — finally
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bear — the animal
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. last — to go on
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — of law
  17. last — final
  18. court — for sport
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mate — a friend
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pitch — completely
  23. ground — a position
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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