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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 116 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: cabinet · track · bulb · rest · mate · swing

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bulb — for light
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rest — what's left
  9. swing — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. track — a path
  12. mate — a friend
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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