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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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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. drill — a practice
  9. club — for dancing
  10. drill — army training
  11. club — for golf
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fall — the season
  16. drill — the tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. band — a ring
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — to drop
  21. band — a music group
  22. club — a group
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stem — to come from

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