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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: mouse · roll · chip · trunk · pitch · hand · rock · tube

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. hand — help
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a list
  9. pitch — completely
  10. chip — to eat
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rock — music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. hand — in cards
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. roll — a cake
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rock — a stone
  24. trunk — of a tree

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