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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: cue · staff · deal · kick · track · trunk · band · mate

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mate — to breed
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. track — a path
  9. cue — for pool
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. track — to keep track
  12. staff — employees
  13. track — a song
  14. cue — a signal
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mate — a friend
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mate — a partner
  24. trunk — of a car

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