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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 · club · straw · bulb · current · stock · perch · mug

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stock — goods
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. club — a group
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mug — a face
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. current — happening now
  10. bulb — for light
  11. current — electric
  12. perch — the fish
  13. club — for dancing
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mug — to rob
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. club — for golf
  18. stock — shares
  19. current — of water
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bulb — for light
  24. trunk — of a tree

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