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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 120 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: drill · lie · bark · band · stock · fan · trunk · racket

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. drill — army training
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. band — a ring
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stock — goods
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. band — a music group
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bark — to shout
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. drill — a practice

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