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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: plane · content · pitch · trunk · can · coach · fork · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. plane — a tool
  8. content — happy
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. content — the amount
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fork — in a road
  14. chest — a box
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. chest — of your body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. can — a tin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. can — a tin

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