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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 120 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: bulb · rush · club · hide · perch · stock · cell · nail

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. club — for golf
  3. stock — shares
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bulb — for light
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. club — for dancing
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stock — goods
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cell — a phone
  24. club — a group

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