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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: racket · trunk · clip · suit · hide · pound · stock · object

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pound — a weight
  4. stock — shares
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. object — a thing
  7. stock — goods
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. object — to protest
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. clip — to cut
  14. suit — in cards
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. suit — clothes
  19. object — an aim
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. suit — to fit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — for paper

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