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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ground — the earth
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. stock — goods
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ground — crushed
  11. deal — to handle
  12. firm — decided
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. firm — steady
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stem — to come from
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. firm — a company
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bay — a horse colour

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