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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 · content · stock · swing · vault · fine · perch · trunk

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. content — happy
  8. fine — all right
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bulb — for light
  17. content — the amount
  18. perch — the fish
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bulb — for light
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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