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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: lean · stock · current · pitcher · season · pit · ground · trunk

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stock — goods
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. lean — to bend
  9. current — of water
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. current — happening now
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stock — shares
  15. ground — a position
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pit — in a race

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