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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: pit · toast · arm · season · trunk · bay · bass · cue

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bass — low music
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pit — a hole
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. season — in sport
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cue — for pool

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