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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 · cell · tube · trunk · racket · toast · board

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. tube — a container
  7. board — to get on
  8. cell — a phone
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. can — a tin
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. toast — bread
  13. pitch — completely
  14. board — a committee
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. can — a tin
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tube — the underground
  24. racket — a loud noise

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