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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 116 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: stock · fine · net · bulb · tube · deal · perch · pass

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. tube — a container
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stock — goods
  11. fine — all right
  12. net — for catching
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. net — after costs
  16. pass — a permit
  17. net — in sport
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fine — high quality
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bulb — for light

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