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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: bay · bulb · ground · rush · racket · net · fan · bass

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. net — in sport
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ground — a position
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — the earth
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. net — after costs
  22. bass — low music
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fan — to cool the air

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