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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: kick · stock · trunk · pitcher · bear · jam · wound · bore

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bear — the animal
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stock — shares
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bore — to drill
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. kick — in football
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stock — goods
  23. wound — an injury
  24. trunk — of a tree

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