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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 116 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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. ground — a position
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stock — goods
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stock — shares
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bark — to shout
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mug — to rob
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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