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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: pitch · mug · cap · calf · trunk · land · bay · craft

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. land — ground
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. land — a country
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mug — to rob
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. craft — boats
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. land — to come down
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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