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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bound — certain
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stock — shares
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. degree — an amount
  14. game — wild animals
  15. craft — boats
  16. board — to get on
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. game — a match
  19. board — a committee
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. craft — a skill
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. board — a flat piece

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