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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 116 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: racket · craft · rush · bulb · file · clip · bass · pit

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. clip — for paper
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bulb — for light
  13. file — a tool
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — a video
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pit — a hole
  22. file — a document
  23. bass — low music
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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