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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: trunk · race · swing · land · deal · foot · stand · kid

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. swing — in golf
  3. kid — child
  4. deal — to handle
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. land — ground
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. race — a contest
  12. stand — to bear
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. race — the arms race
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. foot — a measure
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. swing — music
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. race — humankind
  24. trunk — of a car

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