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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cue — a signal
  4. season — in sport
  5. tube — the underground
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pit — a hole
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. season — of the year
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cue — a hint
  14. tube — a container
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bat — the animal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. trunk — of a car

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