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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: staff · mate · pitch · ball · object · foot · trunk · snap

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mate — to breed
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. staff — a stick
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. foot — a measure
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. staff — employees
  14. mate — a partner
  15. staff — employees
  16. snap — to click
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mate — a friend
  19. object — an aim
  20. ball — a dance
  21. object — to protest
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pitch — completely

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