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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: row · track · bank · trunk · calf · pit · wind · stock

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. row — a line
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bank — for money
  5. wind — moving air
  6. track — a song
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. track — a path
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stock — shares
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. track — to keep track
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stock — goods
  23. pit — a hole
  24. calf — of the leg

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