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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: foot · trunk · chip · bulb · craft · dip · land · wound

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. chip — for betting
  3. land — a country
  4. foot — a measure
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. land — ground
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. land — to come down
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wound — an injury
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bulb — for light
  23. dip — to sink
  24. craft — a handicraft

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