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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. file — a line of people
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. date — the fruit
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bulb — for light
  10. file — a document
  11. stock — goods
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — certain
  21. file — a tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bound — tied together
  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