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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. band — a music group
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rock — a stone
  7. band — a ring
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stock — goods
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stock — shares
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rule — a law
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mate — a partner
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rule — government
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rock — music

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