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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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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: stem · mug · date · ruler · jam · chip · wind · trunk

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chip — for betting
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wind — moving air
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wind — moving air
  9. date — the fruit
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stem — to come from
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. date — on the calendar

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