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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: kick · trunk · scale · date · jam · ground · plane · cap

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cap — a hat
  13. kick — in football
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. cap — a lid
  18. scale — in music
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. date — the fruit
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. cap — of ice
  23. ground — a position
  24. trunk — of a car

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