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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: trunk · saw · stock · cue · file · bulb · leaves · pitcher

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. file — a document
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stock — goods
  18. file — a tool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pitcher — a jug

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