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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: ground · scale · trunk · shower · rush · mouse · swing · bulb

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. shower — to wash
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rush — hurry
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. swing — to play on
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. scale — in music
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. ground — a position
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bulb — of a plant

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