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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: stick · trunk · pound · date · pitcher · race · mark · arm

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. race — a contest
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. race — humankind
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mark — a trace
  24. date — on the calendar

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