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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: spring · track · bear · pit · bore · band · bulb · rush

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bear — the animal
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pit — in a race
  8. track — a song
  9. spring — of water
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spring — the season
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spring — a coil
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. band — a ring
  23. bore — to tire
  24. rush — hurry

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