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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.

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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: rash · current · swing · stock · trunk · file · pop · press

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. current — happening now
  4. pop — to visit
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. current — electric
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. file — a document
  9. rash — a series
  10. pop — music
  11. stock — goods
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stock — shares
  14. press — a publisher
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rash — hasty
  17. file — a tool
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pop — soda
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. press — to push
  24. current — of water

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