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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: bulb · spring · staff · net · mouse · bass · stick · stock

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. net — after costs
  3. spring — the season
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stock — goods
  8. spring — of water
  9. net — for catching
  10. staff — a stick
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bulb — for light
  15. staff — employees
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stock — shares
  21. net — in sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — low music
  24. staff — employees

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