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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ground — crushed
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. object — an aim
  7. degree — from a university
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. degree — temperature
  10. object — a thing
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ground — the earth
  14. degree — an amount
  15. charge — a price
  16. ground — a position
  17. season — of the year
  18. charge — in control
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. object — to protest
  21. stock — shares
  22. charge — electricity
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. leaves — to go away

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