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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: drill · bank · date · stick · bat · firm · trunk · club

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. club — for golf
  6. firm — steady
  7. bank — for money
  8. firm — a company
  9. bank — for money
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. club — a group
  15. bat — the animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bank — of a river
  18. drill — a practice
  19. club — for dancing
  20. date — the fruit
  21. drill — army training
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. firm — decided
  24. bat — for baseball

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