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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: stock · bulb · rash · fork · key · bass · track · arm

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. track — a song
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stock — shares
  11. key — in music
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stock — goods
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. key — for a lock
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bass — low music
  20. fork — in a road
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rash — a series
  24. track — a path

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