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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pit — in a race
  3. squash — the sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stock — goods
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. shower — rain
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stock — shares
  18. net — for catching
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. shower — to wash
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. net — in sport

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