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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: bulb · stock · ground · club · board · rest · fan · bat

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rest — what's left
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. board — a committee
  10. bat — the animal
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rest — a break
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. club — a group
  19. board — to get on
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — for golf
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ground — the earth

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