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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: trunk · leaves · rush · craft · ruler · pitch · net · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. craft — boats
  3. net — for catching
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. net — after costs
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rush — hurry
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pitch — completely
  14. net — in sport
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. craft — a skill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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