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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. cap — a lid
  3. chip — for betting
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. band — a ring
  7. staff — employees
  8. present — the time now
  9. staff — employees
  10. present — a gift
  11. foot — a measure
  12. band — a music group
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cold — not warm
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cold — an illness
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. staff — a stick
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. present — there

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