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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: mine · pitch · trunk · rush · straw · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rush — hurry
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bank — for money
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pitch — completely

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