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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. tube — the underground
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bat — the animal
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. current — electric
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. current — happening now
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. tube — a container
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. current — of water
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. kick — in football

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