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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: vault · foot · squash · plane · trunk · date · stock · coach

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. squash — to crush
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. squash — the sport
  17. plane — a tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stock — goods
  20. vault — a safe
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. foot — a measure

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