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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: calf · trunk · suit · deal · toast · fine · clip · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. 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. pit — a hole
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fine — all right
  4. clip — to cut
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. clip — a video
  10. deal — to handle
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. suit — in cards
  14. clip — for paper
  15. fine — high quality
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. 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