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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 116 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 · stem · stick · game · net · bulb · nail · mouse

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. net — for catching
  9. stem — to come from
  10. net — in sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bound — certain
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. net — after costs
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. game — a match

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