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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. clip — for paper
  3. object — an aim
  4. mate — a partner
  5. object — to protest
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stock — shares
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. clip — to cut
  14. mate — a friend
  15. clip — a video
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitch — completely
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wax — to grow
  23. object — a thing
  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