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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stick · stock · cap · trunk · mug · spring · bowl · temple

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cap — a lid
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mug — a cup
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. mug — a face
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. spring — of water
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mug — to rob
  24. spring — the season

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