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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · band · trunk · pit · pass · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pit — a hole
  6. band — a music group
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. band — a ring
  9. cell — in biology
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pass — a permit
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pit — in a race

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