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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: bound · stand · bass · bay · stock · squash · bulb · rest

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. stand — to bear
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rest — a break
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stock — goods

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