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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 · court · pop · swing · stock · rush · suit · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. pop — soda
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. suit — in cards
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. stock — shares
  10. court — of a king
  11. pop — to visit
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pop — music
  18. suit — clothes
  19. court — for sport
  20. current — electric
  21. court — of law
  22. swing — to play on
  23. suit — to fit
  24. swing — music

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