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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: stock · staff · toast · march · leaves · tube · craft · trunk

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. tube — a container
  8. craft — a skill
  9. toast — bread
  10. craft — boats
  11. march — the month
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stock — goods
  16. march — the month
  17. tube — the underground
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stock — shares
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. march — music
  24. staff — employees

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