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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ground — a position
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. chip — to eat
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chip — for betting
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wound — an injury
  24. trunk — of a car

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