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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stand — to bear
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. shower — rain
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. key — the most important part
  17. chip — to eat
  18. tube — the underground
  19. shower — to wash
  20. tube — a container
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stand — on your feet

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