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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rule — government
  6. degree — an amount
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fine — high quality
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rule — a law
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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