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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · chair · spring · land · pitch · pass · cue · club

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pass — a permit
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. spring — the season
  6. club — for golf
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. land — to come down
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. club — for dancing
  13. cue — a signal
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. land — ground
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. club — a group
  19. cue — for pool
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. land — a country
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. spring — of water

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