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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: march · present · rush · prune · dip · mouse · pitch · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. present — there
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. prune — to trim
  14. march — the month
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. present — the time now
  21. march — music
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. march — the month
  24. present — a gift

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