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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · sharp · stick · squash · mouse · press · trunk · pitcher

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. club — for golf
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. press — newspapers
  17. club — for dancing
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. club — a group
  21. squash — the sport
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. press — to push

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