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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: stock · bulb · mouse · season · bound · capital · fan · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bulb — for light
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. stock — shares
  9. bound — obliged
  10. season — in sport
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bound — certain
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stock — goods
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bound — tied together

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