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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: trunk · cue · mug · deal · bowl · pit · arm · band

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. band — a ring
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mug — to rob
  11. band — a music group
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pit — a hole
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mug — a face
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. cue — a hint
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mug — a cup
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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