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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: mate · fork · pass · toast · fan · cue · trunk · pitch

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mate — a partner
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cue — for pool
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. toast — bread
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. toast — the most admired

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