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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stock — goods
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stock — shares
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mug — a face
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pit — a hole
  11. squash — to crush
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mug — a cup
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pit — in a race
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. patient — a sick person

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