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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: firm · pitcher · trunk · date · ground · fan · deal · press

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. firm — a company
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. date — the fruit
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. ground — the earth
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. firm — decided
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ground — a position
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. firm — steady
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ground — crushed
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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