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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: can · deal · trunk · toast · bowl · coach · pop · clip

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pop — music
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. clip — a video
  6. toast — bread
  7. pop — soda
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. can — to be able to
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pop — to visit
  19. deal — to handle
  20. can — a tin
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. clip — for paper
  23. can — a tin
  24. clip — to cut

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