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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 116 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: calf · rule · trunk · squash · nail · club · pitcher · bulb

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. club — for dancing
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rule — government
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. club — for golf
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. club — a group
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. squash — the sport
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rule — a law

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