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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 120 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: pop · chip · degree · lean · cap · ball · content · trunk

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pop — music
  5. lean — to bend
  6. chip — to eat
  7. content — happy
  8. lean — thin
  9. cap — of ice
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. chip — for betting
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. degree — from a university
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cap — a hat
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cap — a lid
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. ball — a great time

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