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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
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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: trunk · pop · ruler · key · board · bowl · pitch · leaves

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. key — for a lock
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pop — music
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. key — in music

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