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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bank — of a river
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bank — for money
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. ground — the earth
  13. shower — rain
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mark — a trace
  19. ground — a position
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bank — for money

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