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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: trunk · stock · leaves · key · present · pitcher · content · current

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. present — a gift
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. current — happening now
  6. present — the time now
  7. key — in music
  8. content — the amount
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. current — of water
  12. stock — shares
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stock — goods
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. present — there
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. current — electric

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