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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: cell · trunk · rash · pitcher · stock · current · net · jam

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stock — goods
  3. current — of water
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. current — happening now
  9. net — for catching
  10. stock — shares
  11. current — electric
  12. net — after costs
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. net — in sport
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. cell — a phone
  23. rash — a series
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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