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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rule — a law
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stock — goods
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. branch — a division
  24. trunk — of a tree

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