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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. firm — a company
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. can — to be able to
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stock — goods
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. can — a tin
  18. firm — decided
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stock — shares
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. firm — steady
  23. can — a tin
  24. tube — a container

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