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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: pit · fan · safe · deal · trunk · foot · court · wake

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. court — for sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. court — of law
  15. court — of a king
  16. deal — to handle
  17. foot — a measure
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pit — in a race

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