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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 120 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: fan · prune · trunk · swing · pitcher · kick · deal · pit

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pit — in a race
  5. swing — music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. kick — in football
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. swing — in golf
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. swing — to play on
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. deal — a big deal

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