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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pound — a weight
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stock — goods
  10. staff — a stick
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stock — shares
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. staff — employees
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pass — a permit
  24. staff — employees

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