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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: perch · trunk · vault · dip · pitch · track · rest · season

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. dip — to sink
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. season — in sport
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rest — what's left
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rest — what's left
  16. perch — the fish
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. track — a song
  21. rest — a break
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. track — a path
  24. season — of the year

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