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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. tube — a container
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — the animal
  9. stock — shares
  10. land — to come down
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. tube — the underground
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pop — soda
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stock — goods
  20. land — ground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pass — a permit
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. land — a country

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