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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. date — the fruit
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — of a plant
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. root — the cause
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stock — shares
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stock — goods
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. root — of a word
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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