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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · tube · bowl · ground · straw · land · trunk · suit

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. land — to come down
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. suit — to fit
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. land — a country
  8. ground — a position
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. land — ground
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. ground — crushed
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. tube — a container

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