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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stock — goods
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. field — for sport
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. field — a subject
  10. rock — music
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. land — ground
  14. stock — shares
  15. field — farmland
  16. land — a country
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rock — a stone
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bowl — a dish

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