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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rash — a series
  5. suit — clothes
  6. court — for sport
  7. cold — not warm
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. suit — to fit
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. court — of law
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. branch — a division
  20. court — of a king
  21. rash — hasty
  22. chip — for betting
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cold — an illness

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