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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stock — goods
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pit — a hole
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pit — in a race
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. shower — rain
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. board — to get on
  18. club — for golf
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. board — a committee
  21. shower — to wash
  22. date — the fruit
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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