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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. kid — to tease
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stock — goods
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fine — all right
  9. prune — to trim
  10. kid — child
  11. bulb — for light
  12. roll — a list
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fine — high quality
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stock — shares
  22. roll — a cake
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. calf — a young animal

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