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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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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 · pit · pass · trunk · deal · shower · bound · current

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bound — obliged
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. current — happening now
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pit — in a race
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stock — shares
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stock — goods
  17. current — of water
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. shower — rain
  24. current — electric

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