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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. race — humankind
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. race — a contest
  24. hide — to keep secret

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