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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 · mug · present · rash · game · trunk · bass · key

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. game — a match
  5. key — the most important part
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. present — there
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mug — a cup
  10. game — wild animals
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mug — to rob
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. key — in music
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. present — the time now
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. present — a gift
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mug — a face
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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