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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: coach · ruler · pitcher · trunk · bulb · field · deal · club

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. club — a group
  6. field — for sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. field — a subject
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. field — farmland
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pitcher — a jug

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