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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 120 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stock — goods
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bass — low music
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stem — to come from
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stock — shares
  18. bound — certain
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wound — an injury
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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