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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: face · stock · ball · ground · board · tube · trunk · fork

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. tube — a container
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stock — goods
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. face — part of the head
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. face — to confront
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stock — shares
  20. tube — the underground
  21. ground — a position
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fork — in a road
  24. ball — a dance

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