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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: lean · content · perch · trunk · roll · pitch · board · cell

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. roll — a list
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — a phone
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. content — the amount
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. board — a committee
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. board — to get on
  18. content — happy
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. lean — thin
  21. roll — a cake
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. perch — the fish

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