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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: field · game · deal · season · club · stand · hand · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. game — wild animals
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. hand — help
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. deal — to handle
  10. field — farmland
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. field — a subject
  13. stand — to bear
  14. season — in sport
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. club — a group
  19. field — for sport
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. club — for golf
  22. game — a match
  23. season — of the year
  24. club — for dancing

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