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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mark · trunk · shower · field · bowl · chip · jam · cue

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. field — for sport
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. cue — a hint
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. field — a subject
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mark — a trace
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mark — a grade
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. field — farmland

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