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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 116 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. dip — to sink
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. band — a ring
  8. stock — goods
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. stock — shares
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fine — all right
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. row — a line
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. band — a music group
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fine — high quality
  24. row — a quarrel

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