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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 · wave · stock · coach · nail · bowl · mine · scale

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stock — shares
  11. mine — for digging
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stock — goods
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. scale — in music
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. nail — on a finger

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