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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 116 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 · cell · file · staff · fan · band · pitch · cap

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. staff — employees
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. file — a document
  10. cap — a hat
  11. file — a tool
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. file — a line of people
  14. band — a ring
  15. staff — employees
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cap — a lid
  18. band — a music group
  19. cap — of ice
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cell — in biology
  22. staff — a stick
  23. cell — a phone
  24. trunk — of a car

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