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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 120 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: kid · degree · prune · pit · arm · trunk · bass · suit

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pit — a hole
  4. suit — to fit
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bass — low music
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. kid — to tease
  14. degree — temperature
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pit — in a race
  17. prune — to trim
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. kid — child
  20. degree — an amount
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. suit — in cards
  24. prune — to trim

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