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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: spring · court · can · stock · trunk · mate · pit · nail

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. court — of law
  3. stock — shares
  4. can — to be able to
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. can — a tin
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. court — of a king
  10. mate — a friend
  11. spring — the season
  12. can — a tin
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pit — in a race
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. spring — of water
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stock — goods
  20. court — for sport
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mate — to breed
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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