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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: pitch · season · can · wind · trunk · lean · tube · clip

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. clip — for paper
  4. tube — a container
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. can — a tin
  7. clip — a video
  8. can — a tin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. season — in sport
  11. lean — to bend
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wind — moving air
  14. season — of the year
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lean — thin
  20. wind — moving air
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. clip — to cut
  24. season — to add flavour

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