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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: prune · bass · wind · bulb · press · net · bore · mark

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wind — moving air
  3. net — in sport
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bore — to tire
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wind — moving air
  13. press — to push
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bass — low music
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. press — a publisher
  20. net — for catching
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bulb — for light
  23. net — after costs
  24. prune — to trim

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