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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stock — shares
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fall — the season
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. track — to keep track
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. track — a path
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hand — in cards
  22. track — a song
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. coach — a trainer

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