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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: degree · trunk · coach · can · board · capital · bat · calf

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. can — to be able to
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. capital — a city
  9. can — a tin
  10. capital — money
  11. degree — from a university
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. board — to get on
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. degree — an amount
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. board — a committee
  24. degree — temperature

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