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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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. net — for catching
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. file — a document
  5. stock — goods
  6. net — in sport
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stock — shares
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. file — a tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pass — a permit
  16. dip — to sink
  17. ball — a great time
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. file — a line of people
  20. net — after costs
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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