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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · staff · mine · deal · mouse · trunk · lie · prune

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. staff — employees
  7. prune — to trim
  8. staff — employees
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pitch — completely
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. deal — to handle
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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