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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: toast · date · patient · stock · fan · trunk · ground · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. toast — bread
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ground — a position
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. date — the fruit
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. stock — goods
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fan — a supporter

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