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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 · file · content · cue · staff · chip · lean

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. file — a tool
  4. lean — to bend
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cue — a signal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cue — for pool
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. file — a document
  16. staff — employees
  17. lean — thin
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cue — a hint
  21. content — happy
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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