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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · trunk · rock · bore · safe · spring · stock · court

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. spring — the season
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stock — goods
  7. court — of a king
  8. stock — shares
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. spring — a coil
  12. court — for sport
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. court — of law
  15. rock — music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. row — to paddle
  22. spring — of water
  23. rock — a stone
  24. safe — out of danger

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