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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 · cabinet · leaves · ball · trunk · lean · fine · firm

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lean — to bend
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lean — thin
  5. ball — a dance
  6. firm — steady
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. firm — a company
  10. stock — shares
  11. fine — high quality
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stock — goods
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. fine — all right
  16. firm — decided
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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