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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: racket · bulb · mine · date · wave · squash · bore · track

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. squash — the sport
  11. track — a path
  12. bore — to tire
  13. track — a song
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mine — an explosive

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