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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.

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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: pitch · wake · rule · season · leaves · stem · trunk · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. season — in sport
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stem — to come from
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. season — of the year
  20. bound — obliged
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. trunk — of a tree

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