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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: board · craft · shower · trunk · key · pitch · pop · foot

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pop — soda
  8. key — the most important part
  9. shower — rain
  10. key — in music
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pop — to visit
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. shower — to wash
  15. board — to get on
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. board — a committee
  19. pop — music
  20. pitch — completely
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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