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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 120 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mug — a cup
  9. field — farmland
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. vault — a safe
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mug — a face
  15. mine — for digging
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wax — to grow
  19. field — for sport
  20. stock — goods
  21. field — a subject
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wax — for sculpting

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