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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 · pitch · pitcher · key · press · scale · cap · charge

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. charge — in control
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. key — in music
  9. press — to push
  10. scale — size or range
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. key — for a lock
  17. scale — in music
  18. charge — a price
  19. cap — a hat
  20. charge — electricity
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cap — of ice

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