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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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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: prune · racket · staff · rash · can · bulb · row · spring

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. staff — employees
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. can — to be able to
  6. prune — to trim
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — a coil
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bulb — for light
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. staff — a stick
  18. row — a line
  19. staff — employees
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. can — a tin
  24. rash — a series

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