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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. chip — for betting
  3. degree — an amount
  4. spring — of water
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. degree — temperature
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. spring — a coil
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. degree — from a university
  11. can — a tin
  12. net — for catching
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. net — after costs
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. can — to be able to
  22. chip — to eat
  23. spring — the season
  24. net — in sport

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