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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. pop — to visit
  6. court — of a king
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pop — music
  9. court — of law
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pop — soda
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. court — for sport
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. chip — for betting

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