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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: staff · bulb · pop · plane · bound · net · snap · ball

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. net — in sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. snap — to click
  5. pop — to visit
  6. net — for catching
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. staff — employees
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. net — after costs
  16. pop — music
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pop — soda
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ball — a great time

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