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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: tube · trunk · stick · patient · calf · stem · court · chip

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chip — for betting
  14. tube — a container
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. chip — to eat
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. court — of a king

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