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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: pitcher · bear · trunk · present · last · sharp · deal · pit

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. 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. deal — an agreement
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bear — the animal
  4. present — there
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. last — final
  12. present — the time now
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bear — the animal
  17. last — to go on
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. present — a gift
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. last — finally
  22. pit — in a race
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. 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