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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 120 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: press · wake · racket · track · bulb · ball · kid · bore

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bulb — for light
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ball — a great time
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. wake — a trail
  11. kid — to tease
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. kid — child
  17. track — a song
  18. ball — a dance
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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