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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. spring — a coil
  4. object — an aim
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stock — goods
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stock — shares
  13. object — to protest
  14. spring — the season
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spring — of water
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stand — to bear
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. object — a thing
  24. bulb — for light

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