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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: nail · ball · stock · rule · spring · bulb · mate · bass

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. ball — a dance
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mate — to breed
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rule — a law
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rule — government
  14. spring — the season
  15. stock — goods
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bass — low music
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bulb — for light
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stock — shares
  23. bass — the fish
  24. ball — a great time

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