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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. band — a ring
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. band — a music group
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. prune — to trim
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. charge — a price
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. deal — to handle
  23. charge — in control
  24. leaves — lets stay

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