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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. wake — a trail
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stock — goods
  7. firm — steady
  8. present — a gift
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. present — the time now
  12. wind — moving air
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. present — there
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stock — shares
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bat — for baseball

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