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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: scale · hand · calf · tube · ruler · charge · pop · trunk

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. charge — electricity
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pop — soda
  6. charge — a price
  7. hand — help
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. scale — in music
  11. pop — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tube — the underground
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. scale — size or range
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. charge — in control
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. tube — a container
  22. pop — to visit
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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