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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitch · nail · bay · content · root · rush · trunk · fan

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. root — the cause
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. root — of a word
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — of a plant
  12. content — the amount
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. content — happy
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rush — a thrill

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