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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. chip — for betting
  4. can — a tin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chip — to eat
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lean — to bend
  10. can — to be able to
  11. tube — the underground
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fork — in a road
  16. can — a tin
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. date — the fruit
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fork — to eat with

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