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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: pitcher · club · shower · bore · land · bulb · stock · vault

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bore — to tire
  4. land — to come down
  5. stock — shares
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. club — a group
  13. stock — goods
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bulb — for light
  19. land — a country
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. land — ground

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