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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: rush · squash · pit · land · board · fan · racket · bulb

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. board — a committee
  5. land — a country
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. board — to get on
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rush — hurry
  10. land — ground
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pit — in a race
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bulb — for light
  23. land — to come down
  24. fan — a supporter

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