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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 · bore · degree · cabinet · net · race · fine · staff

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. staff — a stick
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. race — the arms race
  6. fine — high quality
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. net — after costs
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. staff — employees
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. net — in sport
  14. staff — employees
  15. net — for catching
  16. fine — all right
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bore — to tire

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