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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.

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: bulb · pop · chest · file · racket · mouse · bark · rush

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. chest — a box
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bulb — for light
  11. file — a document
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pop — music

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