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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.

Make a worksheet

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: jam · net · bound · straw · bulb · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. net — after costs
  9. bulb — for light
  10. net — for catching
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. net — in sport
  14. bound — certain
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bound — obliged
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bowl — to roll

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