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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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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 · fall · cue · pit · bore · snap · pitch · pop

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pop — soda
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cue — for pool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cue — a signal
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fall — the season
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pop — music
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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