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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 · trunk · scale · cabinet · content · root · leaves · chip

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. chip — to eat
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. root — of a word
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stock — goods
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stock — shares
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. scale — in music
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. content — happy
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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