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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: wake · board · trunk · pop · scale · stick · land · suit

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pop — soda
  7. scale — in music
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. land — a country
  13. suit — clothes
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. scale — size or range
  16. land — ground
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pop — to visit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. suit — in cards
  21. land — to come down
  22. board — a committee
  23. wake — a trail
  24. board — to get on

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