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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 120 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: trunk · leaves · ball · pitcher · pound · can · cell · rush

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. can — a tin
  12. cell — a phone
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. ball — a great time
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cell — in biology
  24. leaves — lets stay

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