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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: stock · trunk · stick · lean · spring · field · bound · date

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. field — for sport
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stock — shares
  9. bound — obliged
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lean — thin
  12. stock — goods
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. field — farmland
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. spring — the season
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. field — a subject
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. spring — of water
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lean — to bend

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