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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. firm — steady
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stock — shares
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stock — goods
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rock — music
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rock — a stone

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