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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: suit · degree · bowl · stock · land · cabinet · trunk · chest

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. degree — temperature
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stock — shares
  7. suit — to fit
  8. land — to come down
  9. degree — an amount
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. degree — from a university
  14. land — a country
  15. stock — goods
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. suit — in cards
  22. land — ground
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chest — a box

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