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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: kid · suit · net · squash · mark · field · trunk · bowl

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. suit — to fit
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. net — in sport
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. kid — child
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. net — after costs
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. field — farmland
  23. net — for catching
  24. kid — to tease

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