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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: mark · bulb · swing · ball · track · rest · shower · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. swing — in golf
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. swing — to play on
  8. ball — a great time
  9. track — a song
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. rest — a break
  17. track — a path
  18. ball — a dance
  19. swing — music
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bulb — for light

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