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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: key · game · dip · date · pitcher · roll · trunk · can

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. key — in music
  3. roll — a cake
  4. date — the fruit
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. roll — a list
  7. key — the most important part
  8. can — a tin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. game — wild animals
  14. key — for a lock
  15. game — a match
  16. can — a tin
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. can — to be able to

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