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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 120 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: deal · trunk · rush · scale · club · bass · pitcher · land

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. bass — low music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. deal — to handle
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rush — hurry
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. scale — in music
  15. land — ground
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. club — for dancing
  23. scale — size or range
  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