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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: pass · bound · bulb · bank · net · squash · drill · wind

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. bound — certain
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. drill — army training
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bound — obliged
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bank — of a river
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bank — for money
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bound — tied together
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bank — for money
  22. net — for catching
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bulb — for light

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