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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: game · bound · content · bay · bank · stock · mate · bass

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. content — the amount
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bank — for money
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bound — certain
  8. content — happy
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stock — goods
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stock — shares
  13. game — a match
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bass — low music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mate — a partner

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