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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fine — high quality
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bark — to shout
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fine — all right
  20. pop — music
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pop — soda
  24. kick — in football

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