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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: ball · club · coach · bulb · shower · chest · stock · dip

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. shower — rain
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bulb — for light
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stock — goods
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chest — a box
  11. shower — to wash
  12. ball — a dance
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ball — a great time
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. dip — to sink
  18. club — a group
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stock — shares

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