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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: stock · toast · bound · hand · trunk · date · bass · bulb

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stock — shares
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stock — goods
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bass — low music
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. hand — help
  24. toast — bread

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