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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: track · rush · bat · bulb · bore · bowl · pop · content

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pop — soda
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. track — a path
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bat — the animal
  21. content — the amount
  22. track — a song
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. content — happy

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