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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: can · pitch · mate · club · tube · trunk · mark · stock

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stock — shares
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mate — a partner
  6. tube — a container
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. can — a tin
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pitch — completely
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. can — a tin
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mate — a friend
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. club — for golf
  23. stock — goods
  24. can — to be able to

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