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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 · row · bass · pitch · firm · craft · dip · mug

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bass — the fish
  5. craft — a skill
  6. row — a line
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. firm — steady
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bass — low music
  11. craft — boats
  12. firm — a company
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mug — a face
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. dip — to sink
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. firm — decided
  24. pitch — completely

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