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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. club — a group
  4. stock — goods
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. field — a subject
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. field — for sport
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stock — shares
  18. field — farmland
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. object — a thing
  23. club — for golf
  24. stock — a soup base

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