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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · jam · calf · toast · ball · bore · pitch · bark

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bore — to tire
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ball — a great time
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bore — to drill

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