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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
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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 · mine · bay · coach · content · bulb · racket · pitcher

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. content — the amount
  3. bulb — for light
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rush — hurry
  18. content — happy
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bulb — for light

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