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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: rush · bass · file · bulb · coach · stock · bear · racket

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bass — low music
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stock — goods
  11. bear — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stock — shares
  16. file — a document
  17. bulb — for light
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bass — the fish
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. file — a tool

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