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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · tear · bear · current · stock · chest · trunk · perch

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. current — of water
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. chest — of your body
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. current — happening now
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ball — a great time
  16. tear — from crying
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. stock — shares
  19. perch — the fish
  20. chest — a box
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. tear — to rip
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stock — goods

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