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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: mine · bulb · pitcher · safe · stock · shower · field · kick

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stock — shares
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — a subject
  9. stock — goods
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. field — for sport
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. field — farmland
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. shower — to wash

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