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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. file — a tool
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fine — all right
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. file — a line of people
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. perch — the fish
  22. file — a document
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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