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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. chip — to eat
  6. kick — in football
  7. can — a tin
  8. club — for dancing
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. club — for golf
  14. chip — for betting
  15. club — a group
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. can — a tin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fork — in a road

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