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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: club · trunk · cap · stock · kid · bulb · bank · object

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. object — to protest
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bank — for money
  8. object — an aim
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. kid — to tease
  11. cap — of ice
  12. kid — child
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stock — shares
  18. club — a group
  19. cap — a lid
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bulb — for light
  22. object — a thing
  23. bank — for money
  24. club — for golf

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