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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 120 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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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: net · club · deal · fall · ground · stick · rule · trunk

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. net — for catching
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. club — for golf
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rule — a law
  11. fall — to drop
  12. net — in sport
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. fall — to drop
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fall — the season
  19. ground — the earth
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. deal — to handle
  22. net — after costs
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. rule — government

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