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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 120 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. band — a music group
  4. staff — employees
  5. suit — to fit
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. suit — in cards
  13. band — a ring
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bank — for money
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. staff — a stick
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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