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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.

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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 · pitch · shower · tube · mark · object · band · board

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. shower — rain
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mark — a trace
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. mark — a grade
  12. tube — the underground
  13. object — to protest
  14. board — to get on
  15. object — a thing
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. band — a ring
  21. pitch — completely
  22. tube — a container
  23. board — a committee
  24. object — an aim

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