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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: mouse · bark · key · bulb · net · rash · bass · spring

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rash — a series
  5. bulb — for light
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. net — after costs
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bass — low music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. net — for catching
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spring — the season
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. spring — of water
  20. net — in sport
  21. bark — to shout
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bass — the fish
  24. key — in music

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