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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 120 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
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: trunk · squash · mug · pit · object · racket · lie · field

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mug — to rob
  3. object — to protest
  4. field — a subject
  5. object — an aim
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mug — a cup
  9. lie — to recline
  10. field — farmland
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pit — a hole
  16. mug — a face
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. squash — the sport
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. field — for sport
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pit — in a race
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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