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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: pop · bay · fan · sharp · ground · bulb · track · bound

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. track — a song
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ground — crushed
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pop — soda
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. ground — a position
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bound — certain
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pop — music
  23. ground — the earth
  24. track — a path

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