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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: roll · trunk · deal · rest · object · degree · pit · net

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. object — an aim
  4. net — in sport
  5. rest — a break
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. object — to protest
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. net — for catching
  10. deal — to handle
  11. roll — a cake
  12. degree — from a university
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pit — in a race
  15. degree — temperature
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. net — after costs
  20. object — a thing
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pit — a hole
  23. roll — a list
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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