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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · wound · rash · vault · stock · fine · nail · bulb

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rash — a series
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wound — an injury
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stock — shares
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stock — goods
  24. nail — for a hammer

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