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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 · lie · present · current · pitcher · stock · fork · chest

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. present — a gift
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stock — goods
  11. lie — to recline
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. current — of water
  15. chest — a box
  16. present — there
  17. stock — shares
  18. present — the time now
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chest — of your body
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. lie — an untruth

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