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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 · bank · sharp · pitch · nail · club · leaves · row

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. club — a group
  8. bank — for money
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. club — for golf
  11. pitch — completely
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. row — a line
  22. club — for dancing
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. row — a quarrel

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