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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. present — there
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. charge — a price
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. charge — in control
  13. land — to come down
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. land — a country
  18. present — a gift
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bank — for money
  21. land — ground
  22. present — the time now
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bank — of a river

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