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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 120 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: bat · stock · bound · suit · craft · bulb · mine · club

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stock — goods
  4. bound — tied together
  5. club — for dancing
  6. suit — to fit
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. suit — in cards
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — boats
  12. bat — the animal
  13. club — for golf
  14. bound — certain
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. suit — clothes
  20. club — a group
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mine — for digging
  24. stock — shares

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