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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 · fork · vault · game · swing · spring · racket · bulb

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bulb — for light
  3. swing — to play on
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stock — shares
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fork — in a road
  14. spring — the season
  15. bulb — for light
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stock — goods
  19. swing — music
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spring — of water
  24. fork — a garden tool

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