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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bulb · pop · hand · rock · spell · track · racket · nail

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rock — music
  3. spell — a short time
  4. track — a song
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pop — music
  10. spell — letters
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. track — a path
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pop — soda
  21. spell — magic
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bulb — for light

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