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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: chair · mate · sharp · stand · race · jam · ball · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. ball — a dance
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. race — a contest
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ball — a great time
  8. race — the arms race
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. chair — a leader
  14. race — humankind
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. mate — a partner
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. stand — to bear
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mate — to breed
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. trunk — of a car

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