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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: fine · ground · pop · trunk · drill · calf · chip · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pop — music
  6. drill — a practice
  7. ground — a position
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. fine — all right
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pop — soda
  16. chip — for betting
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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