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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · bowl · content · dip · nail · trunk · bore · squash

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. dip — to sink
  9. content — the amount
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bore — to tire
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bore — to drill
  19. capital — a city
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. content — happy
  24. trunk — of a tree

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