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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
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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: pitch · trunk · coach · bear · chest · net · hide · last

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. last — finally
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pitch — completely
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. net — in sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. net — for catching
  13. chest — a box
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. last — final
  16. chest — of your body
  17. last — to go on
  18. bear — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. net — after costs
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. trunk — of a tree

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