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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: dip · bore · trunk · suit · fan · scale · spring · pit

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. suit — to fit
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. scale — size or range
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pit — a hole
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pit — in a race
  13. spring — of water
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. spring — the season
  19. scale — in music
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. suit — clothes
  24. spring — a coil

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