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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · craft · present · shower · bound · staff · bulb · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. present — a gift
  3. craft — boats
  4. pop — to visit
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pop — music
  8. shower — rain
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. present — the time now
  12. bound — tied together
  13. shower — to wash
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bound — obliged
  16. craft — a skill
  17. prune — to trim
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bound — certain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. present — there

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