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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: tube · ground · pitcher · trunk · hide · calf · swing · rock

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. swing — to play on
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. rock — music
  13. swing — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. ground — the earth
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. swing — in golf
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. ground — a position
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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