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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 120 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: wind · bank · bulb · scale · stock · rush · bound · rock

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bank — for money
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. scale — in music
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stock — goods
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bank — for money
  19. rock — music
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. rock — a stone
  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