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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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Word bank
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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: jam · trunk · fan · staff · roll · pitcher · bay · kick

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. staff — employees
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. staff — employees
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. staff — a stick
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. roll — a list
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. kick — in football
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. roll — a cake

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