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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 · jam · toast · deal · land · bat · mark

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. land — to come down
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. land — ground
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bore — to tire
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. land — a country
  12. deal — to handle
  13. toast — bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mark — a grade
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mark — a trace

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