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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. scale — in music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. craft — boats
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wake — a trail
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stock — shares
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. staff — employees
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. staff — employees
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bowl — a football final

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