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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
468
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 · arm · charge · file · vault · drill · stock · bark

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. drill — army training
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bulb — for light
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. charge — in control
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bark — to shout
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. file — a tool
  18. drill — the tool
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. charge — a price

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