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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mark — a trace
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. last — final
  16. mug — to rob
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mug — a face
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fork — in a road
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stock — shares

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