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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.

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: bass · last · can · bark · bound · stock

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bass — low music
  4. bound — certain
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stock — goods
  7. bound — obliged
  8. can — a tin
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. last — final
  11. can — a tin
  12. last — to go on
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bound — tied together

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