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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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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: squash · trunk · track · can · cue · pitch · court · deal

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. can — a tin
  3. court — of a king
  4. can — a tin
  5. track — a path
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pitch — completely
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. squash — the sport
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. can — to be able to
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. court — of law
  16. cue — a signal
  17. court — for sport
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cue — for pool
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. deal — to handle
  24. track — a song

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