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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: pitch · track · trunk · pound · fan · mine · march · bear

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. march — the month
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. march — the month
  6. pitch — completely
  7. track — a path
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. march — music
  17. track — a song
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fan — a supporter

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