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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: club · fan · fine · drill · trunk · prune · rush · mark

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. drill — the tool
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. club — for dancing
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mark — a grade
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. drill — army training
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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