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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stock — shares
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fine — all right
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. current — happening now
  23. stock — goods
  24. branch — a division

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