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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: rest · pitch · bear · chip · shower · game · trunk · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bear — the animal
  4. shower — rain
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rest — what's left
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rest — a break
  11. bear — the animal
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pitch — completely
  19. game — a match
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. shower — to wash
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. game — wild animals

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