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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bulb — for light
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rush — hurry
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wake — a trail
  10. track — a path
  11. band — a music group
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ground — a position
  14. drill — army training
  15. ground — crushed
  16. drill — a practice
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — a song
  24. racket — for tennis

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