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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · trunk · rush · tube · pitcher · fan · chair · saw

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chair — a leader
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tube — the underground
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. game — a match
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. game — wild animals
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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