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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 120 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. branch — a division
  7. swing — in golf
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chip — for betting
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. firm — steady
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. firm — a company
  16. field — farmland
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. field — for sport
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. sharp — clever
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. field — a subject
  24. firm — decided

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