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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 · pitcher · lie · stock · mark · branch · deal · trunk

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stock — shares
  4. mark — a trace
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. mark — a grade
  11. current — electric
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. stock — goods
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mark — to pay attention

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