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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. object — an aim
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. object — to protest
  7. root — of a word
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — a tin
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. board — a committee
  14. rest — what's left
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stock — goods
  17. fall — the season
  18. can — a tin
  19. root — the cause
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. can — to be able to
  22. object — a thing
  23. rest — a break
  24. stock — a soup base

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