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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: pop · current · kid · date · bear · arm · pitch · trunk

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. current — of water
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pop — music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. kid — child
  14. pop — soda
  15. bear — the animal
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. kid — to tease
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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