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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: stock · bark · season · land · arm · mark · trunk · bank

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. land — a country
  4. mark — a trace
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bark — to shout
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stock — shares
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. land — ground
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. season — of the year
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bank — for money
  18. season — in sport
  19. stock — goods
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. land — to come down

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