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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 116 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: mug · current · snap · band · bulb · ball · racket · bark

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bark — to shout
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. mug — to rob
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. ball — a great time
  15. current — electric
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mug — a face
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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