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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: lash · cap · fork · band · trunk · pitch · mug · land

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mug — a face
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mug — a cup
  7. fork — in a road
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. cap — a lid
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cap — of ice
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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