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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: bound · prune · bass · fan · stock · fine · mate · bulb

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mate — to breed
  9. stock — shares
  10. bulb — for light
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bass — low music
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bound — certain
  21. bulb — for light
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stock — goods
  24. bound — obliged

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