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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · arm · capital · squash · patient · trunk · fine · stock

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. fine — high quality
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stock — shares
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stock — goods
  13. cell — a phone
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fine — all right
  19. cell — in biology
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. squash — the sport
  23. capital — money
  24. trunk — of a car

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