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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. stock — goods
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. roll — a cake
  6. mug — a face
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cap — a lid
  14. roll — a list
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. face — part of the head
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mug — to rob
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stock — shares
  21. face — to confront
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cap — a hat

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