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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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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: cell · pitch · trunk · prune · ruler · toast · march · arm

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — the month
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pitch — completely
  10. march — music
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. prune — to trim
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. prune — to trim
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. march — the month

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