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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: sharp · staff · bulb · board · mine · trunk · pitch · kick

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pitch — completely
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. board — a committee
  13. staff — a stick
  14. board — to get on
  15. staff — employees
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kick — in football
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. trunk — of a car

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