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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: chip · pitcher · trunk · hand · kid · suit · can · pound

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pound — a weight
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. suit — clothes
  9. kid — child
  10. can — a tin
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. suit — in cards
  18. chip — to eat
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chip — for betting
  22. hand — help
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. kid — to tease

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