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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 120 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: patient · bass · chip · bound · spring · bulb · prune · club

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bound — tied together
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. club — for golf
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chip — to eat
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. chip — for betting
  12. spring — of water
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bound — certain
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — low music
  22. club — for dancing
  23. spring — the season
  24. club — a group

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