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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: mine · pitcher · dip · calf · trunk · bear · ground · pop

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pop — soda
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pop — music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mine — for digging

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