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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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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: racket · mark · snap · rush · pound · march · bulb · arm

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mark — a trace
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mark — a grade
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. snap — to click
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. march — the month
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bulb — for light
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rush — hurry
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rush — to hurry

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