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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: sharp · trunk · ball · pop · pit · bulb · fine · stock

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pop — soda
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. stock — shares
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pit — in a race
  15. sharp — clever
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fine — high quality
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pop — music
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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