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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: trunk · bat · deal · firm · mate · calf · bulb · net

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bat — the animal
  4. net — for catching
  5. firm — a company
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mate — to breed
  8. net — in sport
  9. mate — a friend
  10. firm — steady
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bulb — for light
  18. deal — to handle
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. net — after costs
  22. bulb — for light
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. firm — decided

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