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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: cell · fork · wound · nail · scale · bear · chip · trunk

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chip — to eat
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bear — the animal
  17. scale — in music
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. scale — for weighing

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