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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: lie · stock · trunk · kick · pitcher · present · net · mug

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stock — goods
  4. net — for catching
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stock — shares
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. net — in sport
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. kick — in football
  16. net — after costs
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. mug — a face
  20. lie — to recline
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mug — to rob
  23. present — a gift
  24. pitcher — a jug

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