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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: trunk · foot · pitch · mine · firm · nail · lie · chip

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. firm — steady
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pitch — completely
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chip — to eat
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. chip — for betting

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