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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: rock · fine · ground · calf · trunk · content · object · date

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  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. ground — crushed
  2. fine — high quality
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rock — music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. object — a thing
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rock — a stone
  14. date — the fruit
  15. object — to protest
  16. content — happy
  17. fine — all right
  18. object — an aim
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. content — the amount
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. date — on the calendar
  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