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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. pop — to visit
  3. stock — goods
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. court — for sport
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. stock — shares
  8. court — of law
  9. scale — size or range
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. scale — in music
  12. court — of a king
  13. pop — soda
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. band — a ring
  19. pop — music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. band — a music group
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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