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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 120 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stand — to bear
  11. content — the amount
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. content — happy
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stand — for spectators

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