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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: cabinet · bear · bulb · mouse · pass · swing · field · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. swing — music
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. field — a subject
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. field — farmland
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. field — for sport
  24. pass — a permit

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