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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. board — to get on
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pit — a hole
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. spell — letters
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stock — goods
  19. spell — magic
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. stock — shares
  24. board — a committee

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