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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. current — happening now
  5. scale — in music
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. stock — shares
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. current — electric
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stock — goods
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. degree — temperature
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. current — of water
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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