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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 116 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. present — a gift
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stand — to bear
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. present — there
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. ball — a dance
  15. stock — shares
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stock — goods
  23. present — the time now
  24. trunk — of a tree

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