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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: bass · sharp · object · cue · bulb · land · can · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cue — a hint
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. land — to come down
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stock — goods
  9. object — to protest
  10. stock — shares
  11. land — a country
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — a tin
  15. object — a thing
  16. land — ground
  17. cue — a signal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bass — low music
  20. cue — for pool
  21. can — a tin
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — the fish
  24. object — an aim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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