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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. row — to paddle
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mark — a trace

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