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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.

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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: wound · court · racket · rush · wake · mouse · chip · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wound — an injury
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. court — of a king
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. court — for sport
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. court — of law
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. chip — to eat
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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