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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 116 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: field · plane · bore · trunk · firm · pitch · prune · press

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. field — farmland
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. press — a publisher
  8. field — a subject
  9. firm — decided
  10. bore — to drill
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. firm — a company
  17. field — for sport
  18. plane — a tool
  19. press — to push
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pitch — completely
  22. prune — to trim
  23. firm — steady
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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