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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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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: band · sharp · shower · swing · racket · bulb · cell · toast

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. swing — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. shower — to wash
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bulb — for light
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. band — a music group
  10. cell — a phone
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. swing — to play on
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. shower — rain
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cell — in biology
  23. band — a ring
  24. swing — in golf

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