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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: bass · bulb · fan · stock · prune · temple · press · row

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stock — shares
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. row — a line
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bass — low music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. press — to push
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stock — goods
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stock — a soup base

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