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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: lie · mouse · stock · field · trunk · jam · bass · spring

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. field — farmland
  5. lie — to recline
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stock — goods
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. spring — the season
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. spring — of water
  15. bass — the fish
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stock — shares
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bass — low 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