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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · trunk · mine · land · game · stick · toast · coach

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. march — the month
  4. toast — bread
  5. land — ground
  6. game — wild animals
  7. march — the month
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mine — for digging
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. march — music
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. land — a country
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. game — a match
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. land — to come down
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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