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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. net — in sport
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bank — of a river
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. perch — the fish
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. band — a ring
  12. bank — for money
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stock — goods
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. net — for catching
  18. band — a music group
  19. staff — employees
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bank — for money
  22. net — after costs
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wave — with your hand

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