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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 120 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: pit · pitch · pop · tube · trunk · clip · last · plane

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. clip — a video
  5. pop — soda
  6. pitch — completely
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. tube — the underground
  10. clip — to cut
  11. last — finally
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. last — final
  15. plane — a tool
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. last — to go on
  18. pop — to visit
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pit — in a race
  21. tube — a container
  22. pop — music
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. plane — an aircraft

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