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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: rule · club · pit · racket · hand · trunk · stand · staff

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pit — in a race
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. club — a group
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. hand — in cards
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. club — for golf
  12. rule — government
  13. hand — help
  14. pit — a hole
  15. staff — employees
  16. club — for dancing
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rule — a law
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. racket — for tennis

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