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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 120 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: mate · staff · trunk · bark · bore · arm · pit · bowl

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. staff — employees
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mate — a partner
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. staff — employees
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bark — to shout
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bore — to tire

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