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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: pitcher · shower · net · spring · trunk · deal · suit · file

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. file — a document
  4. suit — to fit
  5. spring — a coil
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. file — a tool
  9. spring — the season
  10. suit — in cards
  11. net — after costs
  12. file — a line of people
  13. spring — of water
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. shower — rain
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. suit — clothes
  24. deal — to handle

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