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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: nail · trunk · content · can · prune · club · chip · press

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — to push
  3. content — the amount
  4. can — a tin
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. can — to be able to
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. club — for golf
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. chip — to eat
  11. club — a group
  12. press — a publisher
  13. prune — to trim
  14. club — for dancing
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. chip — for betting
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. press — newspapers
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. can — a tin
  23. content — happy
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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