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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · trunk · spring · pitcher · bowl · content · arm · rule

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rock — a stone
  4. content — happy
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rule — government
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. content — the amount
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rock — music
  24. bowl — to roll

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