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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: field · dip · wake · pitch · calf · bound · trunk · cabinet

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. field — for sport
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bound — certain
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bound — tied together
  20. field — a subject
  21. bound — obliged
  22. field — farmland
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pitch — completely

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