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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: clip · bore · pit · tube · pitch · staff · trunk · fan

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. clip — to cut
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pit — a hole
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. clip — for paper
  13. staff — employees
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. staff — employees
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. tube — a container
  19. clip — a video
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. tube — in a tire

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