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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: leaves · mug · trunk · date · bound · hand · ground · stock

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stock — shares
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mug — to rob
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. hand — help
  9. ground — the earth
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mug — a cup
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. hand — in cards
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. ground — a position
  19. date — the fruit
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. ground — crushed
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stock — goods
  24. hand — part of the body

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