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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: firm · bear · bass · content · deal · prune · bound · cell

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bass — the fish
  3. prune — to trim
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. content — happy
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. firm — a company
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bound — certain
  16. bass — low music
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. cell — a phone
  20. deal — to handle
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. content — the amount

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