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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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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. track — a path
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. ball — a great time
  11. track — to keep track
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fine — all right
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stock — goods
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. track — a song
  20. stock — shares
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stem — to come from

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