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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: cabinet · trunk · object · stock · prune · chip · content · pop

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. content — happy
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. content — the amount
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stock — shares
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — a thing
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — goods
  19. pop — soda
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. object — an aim
  23. pop — music
  24. chip — to eat

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