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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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468
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: wound · mark · mate · bulb · bass · spring · pound · bank

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. spring — of water
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bank — for money
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bass — low music
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pound — a weight
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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