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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: rule · bark · bulb · fall · bound · shower · racket · cue

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fall — the season
  3. bark — to shout
  4. shower — rain
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bound — obliged
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bound — certain
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rule — government
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rule — a law

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