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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stock · scale · shower · bulb · tube · fine · mine · key

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — high quality
  7. key — for a lock
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. scale — in music
  12. shower — to wash
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. key — the most important part
  18. shower — rain
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. key — in music
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. tube — a container
  24. fine — all right

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