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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — goods
  5. shower — to wash
  6. spell — magic
  7. stock — shares
  8. bass — low music
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bass — the fish
  12. spell — a short time
  13. shower — rain
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. root — of a word
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spell — letters

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