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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: mate · rock · bound · prune · pop · spell · bass · club

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bound — certain
  4. club — for golf
  5. prune — to trim
  6. spell — magic
  7. bass — low music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. spell — letters
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pop — music
  12. mate — a partner
  13. club — a group
  14. rock — music
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pop — soda
  18. mate — a friend
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bound — obliged
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rock — a stone

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