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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: lean · bass · field · pop · shower · bound · stock · object

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. object — a thing
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. object — an aim
  12. lean — to bend
  13. field — a subject
  14. bound — tied together
  15. object — to protest
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stock — goods
  18. bass — low music
  19. stock — shares
  20. lean — thin
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bound — certain
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. shower — to wash

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