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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · trunk · cap · pop · pit · net · scale · stick

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pit — a hole
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pop — music
  5. net — for catching
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cap — of ice
  8. scale — in music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cap — a lid
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pop — to visit
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pit — in a race
  18. net — in sport
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pop — soda
  21. net — after costs
  22. scale — size or range
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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