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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: firm · bulb · mine · mouse · bark · racket · net · date

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — after costs
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. firm — decided
  6. bulb — for light
  7. firm — a company
  8. bulb — for light
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. date — the fruit
  14. net — in sport
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bark — to shout
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. net — for catching
  24. firm — steady

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