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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: bore · bat · cabinet · stock · row · trunk · bound · bass

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. row — to paddle
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bass — low music
  10. stock — shares
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bound — tied together
  14. row — a line
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bat — the animal
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stock — goods
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bound — certain

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