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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: bay · bat · trunk · can · calf · bound · pitch · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bat — the animal
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. can — a tin
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. object — a thing
  14. can — a tin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. object — to protest
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pitch — completely
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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