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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 120 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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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. prune — to trim
  6. craft — boats
  7. race — humankind
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. race — the arms race
  11. craft — a skill
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. race — a contest
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — shares
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stock — goods
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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