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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: trunk · pop · bear · spell · leaves · bowl · tube · stock

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pop — to visit
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stock — goods
  5. pop — soda
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. spell — magic
  9. tube — a container
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. spell — letters
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pop — music
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. spell — a short time
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stock — shares

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