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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: coach · racket · scale · band · wound · cabinet · pitch · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. scale — size or range
  5. band — a ring
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wound — an injury
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pitch — completely
  22. band — a music group
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pitch — a sports field

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