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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: fan · bulb · stock · mark · wound · spring · foot · vault

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stock — goods
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wound — an injury
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wound — an injury
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mark — a grade
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stock — shares
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mark — a trace
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. spring — of water
  20. bulb — for light
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mark — to pay attention

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