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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: bay · rock · mine · trunk · hide · bat · pitch · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mine — for digging
  10. board — to get on
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mine — an explosive

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