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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stock — shares
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. kick — in football
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. content — happy
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. snap — to click
  13. stock — goods
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. toast — bread
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. content — the amount

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