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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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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: racket · bulb · craft · rush · saw · bore · coach · net

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. saw — the tool
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. craft — boats
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. net — for catching
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bore — to tire
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bore — to drill
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. net — in sport
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. net — after costs
  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