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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. board — a committee
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. board — to get on
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chest — a box
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. chest — of your body
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stock — shares
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — bread
  24. chest — of your body

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