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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: trunk · date · march · suit · firm · bound · stock · game

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. firm — steady
  4. march — music
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. game — wild animals
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. march — the month
  13. suit — in cards
  14. stock — goods
  15. firm — decided
  16. bound — obliged
  17. suit — to fit
  18. firm — a company
  19. march — the month
  20. game — a match
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. suit — clothes
  23. date — the fruit
  24. stock — shares

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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