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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. band — a music group
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. key — in music
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bark — a dog's sound

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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