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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stock — goods
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wound — an injury
  8. band — a music group
  9. cap — a lid
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. stock — shares
  13. net — in sport
  14. band — a ring
  15. wound — an injury
  16. net — for catching
  17. present — a gift
  18. net — after costs
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. present — the time now
  22. staff — a stick
  23. present — there
  24. trunk — of a car

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