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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stock — goods
  4. net — after costs
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rock — music
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stock — shares
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. net — for catching
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. net — in sport
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. trunk — of a tree

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