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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: lie · ball · club · bass · bound · stock · current · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bound — tied together
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. current — electric
  5. stock — shares
  6. bound — obliged
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bass — the fish
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bass — low music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. current — of water
  16. stock — goods
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bound — certain
  19. ball — a great time
  20. current — happening now
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. trunk — of an elephant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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