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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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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: suit · pit · stick · cell · pitcher · perch · club · trunk

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. club — for golf
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cell — in biology
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pit — in a race
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pit — a hole
  20. club — for dancing
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. club — a group

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