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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stock — goods
  4. current — electric
  5. mate — to breed
  6. field — for sport
  7. scale — in music
  8. stock — shares
  9. mate — a friend
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. field — farmland
  13. current — of water
  14. field — a subject
  15. branch — a division
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. current — happening now
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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