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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: pound · safe · spell · bass · bulb · bark · chip · stock

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bass — low music
  4. spell — letters
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. stock — shares
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pound — a weight
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. safe — out of danger
  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