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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: deal · bulb · rush · racket · bass · pop · rash · game

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. game — a match
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rash — a series
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pop — soda
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pop — music
  20. bass — low music
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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