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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 120 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 · mug · wax · fan · degree · pit · firm · pop

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wax — to grow
  6. firm — steady
  7. degree — from a university
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mug — a face
  12. firm — a company
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pop — to visit
  15. degree — temperature
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pop — music
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pop — soda
  21. firm — decided
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mug — a cup
  24. trunk — of a car

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