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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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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: trunk · chair · bass · pitcher · board · pitch

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bass — low music
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. board — a committee
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bass — the fish
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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