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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: deal · present · drill · perch · saw · sharp · game · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. drill — the tool
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. present — the time now
  10. drill — army training
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. present — a gift
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. drill — a practice
  20. present — there
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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