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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: vault · march · stock · dip · bulb · wake · land · rock

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rock — music
  3. march — music
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stock — goods
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. land — to come down
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stock — shares
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. march — the month
  15. bulb — for light
  16. land — ground
  17. vault — a safe
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. march — the month
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. dip — a sauce

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