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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: kid · trunk · firm · bat · stand · deal · pitcher · content

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bat — the animal
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. kid — to tease
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. kid — child
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. firm — a company
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. content — the amount
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stand — to bear
  23. content — happy
  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