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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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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: leaves · trunk · stock · bay · bulb · club · race · chest

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. club — a group
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stock — shares
  14. club — for dancing
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stock — goods
  17. chest — a box
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. club — for golf
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. race — a contest

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