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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: track · swing · roll · arm · trunk · pitch · sharp · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. track — a song
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. sharp — clever
  9. swing — to play on
  10. track — a path
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pitch — completely
  18. track — to keep track
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. swing — music

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