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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 124 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: coach · pitch · club · ball · wake · cap · trunk · game

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. club — for dancing
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. game — a match
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cap — of ice
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cap — a hat
  9. club — a group
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. club — for golf
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. game — wild animals
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ball — a great time
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pitch — completely
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wake — a trail

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