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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stock — shares
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. season — in sport
  5. fine — high quality
  6. capital — a city
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stock — goods
  10. firm — steady
  11. season — of the year
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rash — hasty
  15. firm — decided
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. firm — a company
  19. fine — all right
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rash — a series
  22. capital — money
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fine — a penalty

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