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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 116 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: rest · patient · stock · can · dip · bulb · pitcher · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stock — goods
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. can — a tin
  19. bulb — for light
  20. can — a tin
  21. rest — a break
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stock — shares
  24. bulb — for light

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