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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pass — a permit
  6. sharp — clever
  7. root — of a word
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stock — shares
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stock — goods
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. root — the cause
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. root — of a plant
  24. trunk — of a car

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