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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: trunk · firm · march · stock · perch · bulb · cabinet · chest

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. firm — decided
  3. march — music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stock — shares
  7. firm — steady
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chest — a box
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. chest — of your body
  19. march — the month
  20. firm — a company
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. march — the month

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