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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 · rule · season · trunk · present · chest · bear · pitch

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. present — there
  4. bear — the animal
  5. present — the time now
  6. season — in sport
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rule — government
  10. season — of the year
  11. bear — the animal
  12. track — a path
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pitch — completely
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. track — a song
  18. present — a gift
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. chest — a box
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rule — a law

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