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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. board — a committee
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. drill — the tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. drill — a practice
  8. charge — a price
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pit — a hole
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. degree — temperature
  16. date — the fruit
  17. drill — army training
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pit — in a race
  20. degree — an amount
  21. charge — in control
  22. board — to get on
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pitcher — a jug

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