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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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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: staff · trunk · tube · safe · mark · capital · chip · cell

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. capital — money
  3. cell — a phone
  4. mark — a grade
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. cell — in biology
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mark — a trace
  11. capital — a city
  12. chip — for betting
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. tube — the underground
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chip — to eat

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