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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 120 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: leaves · trunk · pitch · tube · ball · club · rush · deal

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. club — a group
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pitch — completely
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. club — for dancing
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. club — for golf

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