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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: staff · shower · march · stock · bowl · foot · bound · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. staff — employees
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stock — goods
  14. shower — to wash
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bound — certain
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. staff — employees
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bulb — for light
  23. foot — a measure
  24. march — the month

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