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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: straw · trunk · pitch · mouse · toast · mine · leaves · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pitch — completely
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mine — for digging
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. toast — bread
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ground — a position
  24. mine — belonging to me

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