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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: board · trunk · stock · hand · pass · mine · deal · perch

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stock — shares
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. perch — the fish
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pass — a permit
  15. board — a committee
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. stock — goods
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. hand — help
  22. board — to get on
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. deal — an agreement

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