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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: roll · trunk · pitch · degree · rush · file · wax · tube

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. roll — a cake
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. degree — temperature
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. tube — the underground
  19. file — a line of people
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. wax — to grow
  22. degree — from a university
  23. roll — a list
  24. tube — a container

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