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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: chair · rock · firm · hand · stock · current · trunk · arm

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stock — shares
  4. firm — steady
  5. chair — a leader
  6. current — of water
  7. rock — music
  8. firm — a company
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. stock — goods
  13. firm — decided
  14. current — electric
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. current — happening now
  19. hand — in cards
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chair — to sit on

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