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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stock — shares
  3. march — the month
  4. fine — high quality
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. march — music
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. march — the month
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fine — all right
  16. tube — a container
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stock — goods
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. kick — in football
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. kick — with a leg

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