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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: pitcher · stick · pass · trunk · land · cap · kid · calf

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. land — ground
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. kid — to tease
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. land — to come down
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. land — a country
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kid — child
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pitcher — a jug

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