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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: bat · mate · scale · hand · firm · trunk · mark · can

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. hand — in cards
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mark — a trace
  8. scale — size or range
  9. can — to be able to
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. firm — a company
  13. can — a tin
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. hand — help
  16. bat — the animal
  17. scale — in music
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. firm — decided
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mate — a partner
  23. firm — steady
  24. mate — a friend

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