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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: current · trunk · kid · bass · hand · face · track · stock

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. current — happening now
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hand — help
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. current — electric
  11. kid — child
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stock — shares
  15. hand — in cards
  16. track — a song
  17. face — to confront
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bass — the fish
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stock — goods
  22. kid — to tease
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. current — of water

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