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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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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: bat · pitch · prune · nail · straw · key · bay · trunk

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. key — in music
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. key — for a lock
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pitch — completely
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. prune — to trim

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