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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. court — of law
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bass — low music
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stock — goods
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. craft — boats
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bass — the fish
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stock — shares

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