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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: squash · bulb · mine · rest · bark · racket · foot · band

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rest — a break
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rest — what's left
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. squash — to crush
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. band — a music group
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mine — for digging
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bark — to shout
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. band — a ring

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