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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 120 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 · mark · chip · stock · safe · stick · tube · wake

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stock — goods
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stock — shares
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wake — a trail
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mark — a grade
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chip — to eat
  24. tube — a container

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