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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 · spring · deal · track · chip · nail · spell · degree

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. deal — to handle
  8. spell — letters
  9. track — a path
  10. spell — magic
  11. track — a song
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. track — to keep track
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. chip — to eat
  19. spell — a short time
  20. degree — from a university
  21. spring — the season
  22. chip — for betting
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. deal — an agreement

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