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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. ground — a position
  7. bear — the animal
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stock — goods
  10. bear — the animal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. ground — crushed
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cap — of ice
  24. date — the fruit

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