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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — of law
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. tube — a container
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. court — for sport
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chip — to eat
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. date — the fruit
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. court — of a king
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tube — the underground
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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