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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 116 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: club · bulb · stock · spell · dip · coach · scale · can

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. club — for dancing
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bulb — for light
  5. can — a tin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. club — for golf
  8. bulb — for light
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. scale — in music
  12. can — a tin
  13. club — a group
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. spell — letters
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. scale — size or range
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. dip — to sink
  23. can — to be able to
  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