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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: bulb · deal · board · stock · club · foot · cap · bat

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stock — shares
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. board — to get on
  14. bulb — for light
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. board — a committee
  17. cap — a hat
  18. club — a group
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. club — for golf
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. deal — a big deal

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