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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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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. chip — to eat
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. capital — a city
  12. band — a ring
  13. rest — a break
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. roll — a list
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rest — what's left
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. roll — a cake

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