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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: leaves · calf · bore · pitcher · ball · trunk · cap · chip

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cap — a lid
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ball — a great time
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ball — a dance
  24. calf — of the leg

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