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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rule — a law
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bank — for money
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rule — government
  24. temple — side of the head

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