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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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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: deal · pitcher · last · trunk · saw · cabinet · squash · cap

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. deal — to handle
  4. saw — the tool
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. squash — the sport
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. last — finally
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. last — final
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. last — to go on
  17. squash — to crush
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cap — of ice
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pitcher — a jug

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