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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: swing · temple · bound · game · trunk · pitcher · stem · pitch

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. swing — in golf
  3. game — a match
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. game — wild animals
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pitch — completely
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bound — tied together
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. swing — music
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bound — certain

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