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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stock — goods
  4. content — the amount
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bear — the animal
  9. content — happy
  10. last — final
  11. foot — a measure
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. last — finally
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. object — a thing
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stock — shares
  23. last — to go on
  24. stock — a soup base

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