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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stock — goods
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. mark — a grade
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stock — shares
  17. mark — a trace
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. track — a path
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. saw — the tool

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