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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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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: bank · trunk · prune · chip · content · drill · straw · pit

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pit — in a race
  3. drill — the tool
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. chip — for betting
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. content — happy
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. drill — a practice
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pit — a hole
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chip — to eat
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bank — for money
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. content — the amount
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. straw — a straw man

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