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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: bulb · object · wound · stock · nail · tube · press · perch

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. press — a publisher
  4. perch — the fish
  5. object — to protest
  6. wound — an injury
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. object — a thing
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. tube — a container
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wound — an injury
  16. object — an aim
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. bulb — for light
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — newspapers
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. press — to push
  24. stock — goods

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