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

Word bank: bark · stand · pit · cell · deal · trunk

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal

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