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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stock — goods
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. scale — in music
  12. stock — shares
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. roll — a list
  18. band — a music group
  19. roll — a cake
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. band — a ring
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. ground — crushed

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