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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: board · dip · bore · ground · calf · pitch · trunk · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ground — crushed
  3. board — a committee
  4. ground — a position
  5. rest — a break
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bore — to tire
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. board — to get on
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. dip — to sink
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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