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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: season · chair · nail · root · press · trunk · calf · stock

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stock — goods
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stock — shares
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. root — the cause
  11. press — newspapers
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. press — a publisher
  14. root — of a word
  15. season — in sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. root — of a plant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. press — to push
  20. chair — a leader
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. nail — on a finger

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