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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. drill — army training
  6. stock — goods
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stock — shares
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. game — a match
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. date — on the calendar

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