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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: staff · stem · chip · rule · tube · board · land · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. staff — employees
  6. chip — for betting
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. staff — employees
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rule — a law
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rule — government
  20. stem — to come from
  21. chip — to eat
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. land — a country

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