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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: present · mark · dip · deal · current · pit · saw · trunk

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. present — a gift
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. current — electric
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. current — of water
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. current — happening now
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. dip — to sink
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mark — a grade
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mark — a trace

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