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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · sharp · trunk · chip · clip · stick · march · track

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. march — the month
  7. clip — to cut
  8. track — to keep track
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. chip — to eat
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. march — the month
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. march — music

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