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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: rest · can · trunk · staff · scale · pitcher · spell · bore

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. staff — a stick
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. spell — a short time
  10. scale — size or range
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bore — to tire
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — magic
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. spell — letters
  22. scale — in music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. can — a tin

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