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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: bulb · tube · bowl · bass · bound · saw · can · bank

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bank — for money
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. can — a tin
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. can — to be able to
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bound — obliged
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bank — for money
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. tube — a container
  19. bulb — for light
  20. can — a tin
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bound — certain
  24. tube — in a tire

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