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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: trunk · pit · lean · prune · rock · land · deal · present

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lean — thin
  8. rock — music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pit — a hole
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. land — a country
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. deal — to handle
  15. land — ground
  16. present — the time now
  17. lean — to bend
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. land — to come down
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rock — to move gently

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