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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. present — a gift
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. squash — the sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. present — there
  12. mine — for digging
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. present — the time now

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