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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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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. prune — to trim
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. scale — size or range
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. scale — in music
  15. suit — clothes
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stand — to bear
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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