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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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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: tube · trunk · pitch · march · pit · mark · tear · chip

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. march — music
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pit — a hole
  11. march — the month
  12. mark — a trace
  13. tube — the underground
  14. march — the month
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mark — a grade
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pit — in a race
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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