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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: pit · rule · pop · straw · degree · suit · trunk · date

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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 an elephant
  2. pop — to visit
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. suit — clothes
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pop — music
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. date — the fruit
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pit — a hole
  19. degree — an amount
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. degree — from a university
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pop — soda
  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