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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: mate · calf · bark · chip · fan · trunk · march · net

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. net — after costs
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. chip — to eat
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. net — in sport
  8. march — music
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. march — the month
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. march — the month
  16. net — for catching
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bark — to shout
  21. chip — for betting
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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