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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: bore · firm · wind · cold · suit · racket · bulb · staff

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bore — to drill
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wind — moving air
  5. firm — a company
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. suit — to fit
  10. firm — decided
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bulb — for light
  13. firm — steady
  14. bore — to tire
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wind — moving air
  17. staff — employees
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bulb — for light
  21. staff — employees
  22. suit — clothes
  23. staff — a stick
  24. racket — a loud noise

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