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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: board · craft · calf · trunk · chest · ground · pitcher · press

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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. pitcher — a jug
  4. chest — a box
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. press — newspapers
  8. chest — of your body
  9. craft — boats
  10. board — a committee
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. press — a publisher
  13. chest — of your body
  14. board — to get on
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. ground — a position
  17. press — to push
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ground — the earth
  24. calf — a young animal

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