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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: net · mine · trunk · date · mouse · can · calf · pound

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. date — the fruit
  6. net — for catching
  7. mine — for digging
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. can — a tin
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  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