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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lean — to bend
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. scale — in music
  7. branch — a division
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stock — shares
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. vault — a safe
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. lean — thin
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bulb — for light
  24. branch — of a bank

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