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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 · fan · temple · snap · charge · current · pop · trunk

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pop — to visit
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. pop — music
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stock — goods
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. charge — a price
  18. current — of water
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pop — soda
  24. snap — to click

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