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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. chip — to eat
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. net — for catching
  9. tube — a container
  10. net — after costs
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chip — for betting
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. tube — the underground
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. net — in sport
  19. key — in music
  20. capital — money
  21. rush — hurry
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rush — a thrill

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