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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 120 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: season · fan · root · wake · trunk · tube · pitch · nail

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. root — the cause
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wake — a trail
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. root — of a word
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pitch — completely

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