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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: trunk · pound · cap · prune · rest · content · bore · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rest — a break
  6. bore — to tire
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rest — what's left
  10. can — a tin
  11. content — the amount
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. content — happy
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. can — to be able to
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cap — a lid

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