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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: chip · jam · date · press · scale · calf · trunk · bore

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bore — to tire
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. chip — to eat
  16. press — newspapers
  17. chip — for betting
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. scale — in music
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bore — to drill
  23. press — to push
  24. date — the fruit

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