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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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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 · wind · perch · rest · trunk · ruler · mark · pit

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stock — goods
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stock — shares
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rest — a break
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. trunk — of a tree

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