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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. cue — a hint
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. present — a gift
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cue — a signal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. pound — a weight
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rock — music
  16. capital — money
  17. rock — a stone
  18. plane — a tool
  19. capital — a city
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cue — for pool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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