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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: mouse · rest · net · swing · can · mark · wake · bulb

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mark — a grade
  5. swing — to play on
  6. net — for catching
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. net — after costs
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bulb — for light
  14. net — in sport
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. can — a tin
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rest — a break
  23. swing — in golf
  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