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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: foot · rule · trunk · pitcher · jam · wave · squash · fan

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rule — a law
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rule — government
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. foot — part of the body

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