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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 · kid · racket · bulb · rash · swing · hand · rock

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rash — a series
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. kid — child
  12. swing — music
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bulb — for light
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rock — music
  22. mine — for digging
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mine — belonging to me

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