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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 120 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: bass · capital · object · bore · fork · trunk · pitcher · plane

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. object — a thing
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bass — the fish
  8. capital — a city
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bass — low music
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. object — to protest
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bore — to drill
  19. object — an aim
  20. capital — money
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. plane — an aircraft

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