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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: pitch · dip · can · scale · bowl · trunk · charge · stick

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. charge — a price
  8. can — to be able to
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. charge — in control
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. can — a tin
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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