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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: trunk · bowl · stock · current · net · can · wind · clip

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. net — in sport
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. clip — for paper
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. can — a tin
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. net — for catching
  11. clip — a video
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. current — electric
  14. clip — to cut
  15. current — happening now
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. can — to be able to
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. can — a tin
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. net — after costs
  24. bowl — a dish

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