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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 120 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 · tube · prune · calf · pitch · can · chip · pound

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mine — for digging
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pound — a weight
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chip — to eat
  21. tube — a container
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. calf — a young animal

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