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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: wake · mouse · bank · spring · rash · racket · bulb · rock

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rash — a series
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rock — a stone
  8. spring — of water
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rash — hasty
  13. spring — the season
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rock — music
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bank — for money
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bank — for money

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