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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: rock · calf · pitch · racket · sharp · wake · stand · trunk

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rock — music
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stand — to bear
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wake — a trail
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rock — a stone
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wake — before a funeral

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