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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. content — the amount
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. drill — the tool
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. content — happy
  7. drill — army training
  8. prune — to trim
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. chip — for betting
  11. stock — goods
  12. prune — to trim
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. stock — shares
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. chip — to eat

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