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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.

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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: stock · pass · mate · trunk · bowl · foot · roll · band

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mate — to breed
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mate — a friend
  11. roll — a cake
  12. band — a music group
  13. roll — a list
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. band — a ring
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stock — shares
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stock — goods
  24. mate — a partner

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