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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: spring · sharp · pit · trunk · ball · pitch · ground · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. ground — crushed
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ball — a great time
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spring — of water
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. spring — the season
  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