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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · net · firm · chip · tube · shower · trunk · mouse

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. net — for catching
  3. chip — to eat
  4. firm — a company
  5. net — in sport
  6. firm — decided
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. tube — a container
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tube — the underground
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. date — the fruit
  17. firm — steady
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. net — after costs
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. trunk — of a tree

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