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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. chip — for betting
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. land — to come down
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. foot — a measure
  9. board — to get on
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bore — to drill
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. chip — to eat
  17. land — ground
  18. bore — to tire
  19. squash — to crush
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. land — a country
  24. dip — to sink

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