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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: hand · trunk · date · lie · pitch · can · ball · bowl

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. can — to be able to
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. ball — a dance
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pitch — completely
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. date — the fruit
  20. hand — in cards
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lie — to recline

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