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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: mouse · fine · straw · trunk · pit · content · march · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fine — high quality
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. staff — employees
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. fine — all right
  15. content — happy
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. content — the amount
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. march — the month

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