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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. object — to protest
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stock — goods
  8. pitch — completely
  9. current — electric
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. current — happening now
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. current — of water
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fine — all right
  21. stock — shares
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. chip — in a computer

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