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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: season · pit · firm · wave · craft · snap · game · trunk

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. season — in sport
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. snap — to click
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. firm — decided
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. season — of the year
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. craft — boats
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. pit — in a race
  19. firm — steady
  20. craft — a skill
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. firm — a company
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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