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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: object · trunk · bore · cap · hand · content · can · pitch

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. object — to protest
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. hand — help
  5. content — happy
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. can — a tin
  12. cap — a hat
  13. can — to be able to
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. content — the amount
  17. object — a thing
  18. cap — a lid
  19. can — a tin
  20. object — an aim
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pitch — completely
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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