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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: bowl · dip · cabinet · bear · pit · trunk · land · rule

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. land — ground
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. dip — to sink
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rule — a law
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rule — government
  20. bear — the animal
  21. land — to come down
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. land — a country
  24. pit — in a race

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