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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: dip · calf · pitcher · trunk · squash · tube · stock · lean

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. tube — a container
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. tube — the underground
  16. squash — the sport
  17. lean — thin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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