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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
468
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: mine · mug · spring · racket · current · pass · bark · bulb

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mine — for digging
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mug — a face
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. current — electric
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. current — of water
  19. bark — to shout
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — of water
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend time

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