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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: fork · chip · spell · stand · trunk · pop · scale · roll

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. spell — a short time
  3. chip — to eat
  4. roll — a cake
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. spell — magic
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. scale — in music
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. spell — letters
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stand — to bear
  18. roll — a list
  19. pop — music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fork — in a road
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pop — soda

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