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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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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: kid · prune · scale · content · trunk · fine · root · tube

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. tube — the underground
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. scale — size or range
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. root — the cause
  12. tube — a container
  13. kid — child
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. root — of a plant
  16. content — the amount
  17. root — of a word
  18. kid — to tease
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. content — happy
  22. fine — high quality
  23. scale — in music
  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