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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 116 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mark — a trace
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. band — a music group
  6. court — of a king
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. court — of law
  12. mark — a grade
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. court — for sport
  16. pit — in a race
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. band — a ring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a rubber band

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