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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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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: rush · bore · racket · track · mine · bulb · object · band

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. object — an aim
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rush — hurry
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. object — to protest
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. band — a music group
  14. track — a song
  15. mine — for digging
  16. track — to keep track
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. object — a thing

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