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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rock — music
  6. stock — shares
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ball — a dance
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. ball — a great time
  18. tube — the underground
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. branch — a division
  24. tube — a container

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