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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. chip — for betting
  3. content — the amount
  4. cue — a hint
  5. season — in sport
  6. tube — the underground
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. chip — to eat
  11. content — happy
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cue — for pool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. season — of the year
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cue — a signal
  22. tube — a container
  23. wake — a trail
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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