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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
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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: kick · trunk · coach · pop · bear · game · toast · can

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. toast — bread
  3. pop — to visit
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. can — a tin
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. can — a tin
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. can — to be able to
  20. kick — in football
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pop — music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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