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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: chip · trunk · pitch · cap · bulb · plane · straw · last

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cap — a lid
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. last — finally
  5. chip — for betting
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. last — final
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pitch — completely
  14. last — to go on
  15. chip — to eat
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cap — a hat
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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