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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: pitcher · sharp · trunk · rock · pit · club · deal · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. club — a group
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rock — a stone
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. last — finally
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pit — in a race
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rock — music
  18. last — final
  19. club — for golf
  20. sharp — clever
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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