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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: pit · tube · roll · content · mine · trunk · ruler · mouse

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. tube — a container
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pit — in a race
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. content — the amount
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. roll — a cake
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. roll — a list
  24. content — happy

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