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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: key · arm · bark · pitch · trunk · snap · spring · fan

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. key — for a lock
  8. spring — a coil
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. snap — to click
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. spring — the season
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. key — in music
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pitch — completely
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spring — of water
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bark — to shout
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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