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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · wound · prune · rash · racket · shower · bulb · pit

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. shower — to wash
  3. prune — to trim
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rash — hasty
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pit — a hole
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pit — in a race
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rash — a series
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bulb — for light
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wound — an injury
  24. shower — rain

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