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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: racket · spring · board · bulb · wake · nail · lie · pitch

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spring — the season
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. board — a committee
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pitch — completely
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. board — to get on
  19. bulb — for light
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. spring — a coil
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. spring — of water

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