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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: date · bulb · racket · rest · bear · rash · stick · file

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. file — a document
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rest — a break
  14. bear — the animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rash — a series
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rest — what's left
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bear — the animal
  21. file — a tool
  22. rash — hasty
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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