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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stick · hand · pitch · rule · sharp · leaves · bear · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pitch — completely
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rule — government
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bear — the animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rule — a law
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. sharp — clever

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