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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: mark · land · bore · stock · bay · bass · bulb · toast

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stock — goods
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. stock — shares
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bulb — for light
  14. toast — bread
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bass — low music
  24. land — a country

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