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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: trunk · staff · pitcher · tube · scale · cue · snap · calf

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. staff — employees
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cue — for pool
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. staff — a stick
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. scale — in music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. scale — size or range
  22. tube — a container
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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