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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 116 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: rock · chip · capital · saw · ball · mate · trunk · shower

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. ball — a great time
  3. capital — money
  4. rock — music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mate — a friend
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mate — to breed
  11. saw — the tool
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. capital — a city
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mate — a partner
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. shower — rain
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. shower — to wash
  23. chip — for betting
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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