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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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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: mark · suit · date · pit · club · branch · track · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mark — a trace
  6. suit — clothes
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. branch — a division
  9. club — for golf
  10. suit — in cards
  11. track — a path
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pit — a hole
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. suit — to fit
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pit — in a race
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mark — a grade
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. track — a song

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