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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cap — a lid
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. mug — a face
  12. stock — shares
  13. cap — of ice
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stock — goods
  16. mug — a cup
  17. spell — magic
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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