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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. shower — rain
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pop — music
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pop — soda
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stock — shares
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mug — a face

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