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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: content · perch · trunk · mate · capital · stand · stick · tube

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. content — the amount
  9. capital — a city
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mate — to breed
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. capital — money
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. perch — the fish
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. content — happy
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stand — to bear
  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