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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · tube · coach · suit · trunk · pitch · squash · wax

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. suit — to fit
  6. squash — the sport
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pitch — completely
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. tube — a container
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. suit — in cards
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wax — to grow
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wax — in the ear

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