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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 120 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 · bowl · foot · shower · bulb · hand · mouse · bound

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. shower — to wash
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. hand — in cards
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. foot — a measure
  20. hand — help
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mouse — the animal

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