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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stock — shares
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. scale — in music
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stock — goods
  20. stand — to bear
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. scale — size or range

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