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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: pitch · tube · trunk · lie · object · race · pit · pop

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. tube — the underground
  3. object — to protest
  4. race — a contest
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. race — humankind
  7. pit — in a race
  8. object — an aim
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pitch — completely
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pop — to visit
  15. tube — a container
  16. object — a thing
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pop — music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pop — soda
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pit — a hole

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