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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: stick · land · press · chip · root · trunk · wake · mug

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. land — ground
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. land — to come down
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. root — of a word
  9. land — a country
  10. press — a publisher
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. press — to push
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. root — the cause
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mug — a cup
  17. press — newspapers
  18. root — of a plant
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mug — a face
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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