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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: current · racket · bay · trunk · pitch · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. current — electric
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pitch — completely
  14. current — happening now
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. current — of water

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