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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: straw · pitch · mark · bulb · wind · bore · trunk · board

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mark — a trace
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bulb — for light
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pitch — completely

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