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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 · current · fork · trunk · stand · calf · deal · row

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. stock — shares
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. row — a line
  6. stand — to bear
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fork — in a road
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stock — goods
  15. current — happening now
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. current — electric
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. current — of water
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stand — on your feet

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