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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: saw · prune · ball · key · staff · pitch · band · trunk

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. key — in music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. prune — to trim
  6. saw — the tool
  7. key — the most important part
  8. staff — employees
  9. band — a ring
  10. staff — employees
  11. pitch — completely
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. key — for a lock
  16. saw — the tool
  17. band — a music group
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. ball — a great time
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. ball — a dance

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