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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: sharp · pitcher · pop · rock · wind · roll · squash · trunk

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wind — moving air
  11. roll — a list
  12. rock — a stone
  13. squash — to crush
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rock — music
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. squash — the sport

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