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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: can · key · trunk · pit · shower · foot · cell · mark

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pit — in a race
  5. can — a tin
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. can — a tin
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cell — a phone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. key — in music
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. shower — rain
  16. cell — in biology
  17. key — the most important part
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mark — a trace
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mark — a grade
  24. trunk — of a tree

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