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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: trunk · rash · game · stock · mug · racket · roll · field

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. game — a match
  3. field — for sport
  4. mug — a face
  5. rash — a series
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. field — a subject
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. roll — a cake
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. game — wild animals
  14. roll — a list
  15. rash — hasty
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. field — farmland
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stock — shares
  21. mug — to rob
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stock — goods

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