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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: ruler · fan · fall · spring · bulb · foot · stock · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bulb — for light
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stock — goods
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fall — the season
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. spring — a coil
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. spring — of water
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. stock — shares
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — to drop
  23. spring — the season
  24. foot — a measure

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