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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 · fall · board · cue · fine · saw · deal · bat

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fall — the season
  3. cue — a hint
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bat — the animal
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. board — to get on
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fine — high quality
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fall — to drop
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. board — a committee
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fine — all right
  24. cue — for pool

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