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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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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 · bank · file · bulb · fine · net · mark · shower

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bank — of a river
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. shower — rain
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fine — all right
  12. bank — for money
  13. file — a document
  14. bank — for money
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stock — shares
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mark — a trace
  21. net — in sport
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stock — goods
  24. file — a tool

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