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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. content — happy
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bark — to shout
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. content — the amount
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stock — shares
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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