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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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bear — the animal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stock — goods
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. land — a country
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. land — ground
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. content — happy
  14. rule — government
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stock — shares
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. content — the amount
  21. fall — the season
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. land — to come down

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