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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. net — after costs
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. tube — a container
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. ground — the earth
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. ground — a position
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. net — for catching
  21. stock — shares
  22. ground — crushed
  23. net — in sport
  24. pound — for dogs

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