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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: trunk · bark · cue · swing · pitch · rush · toast · face

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cue — a signal
  3. swing — music
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cue — for pool
  9. toast — bread
  10. swing — in golf
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. face — to confront
  16. cue — a hint
  17. swing — to play on
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bark — to shout

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