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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. foot — a measure
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. present — the time now
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stock — goods
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mate — a friend
  21. present — there
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stock — shares

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