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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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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: bowl · file · kick · bulb · cue · dip · saw · bat

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bulb — for light
  4. file — a line of people
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. file — a tool
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. saw — the tool
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. file — a document
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cue — for pool
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. kick — in football
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cue — a signal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. kick — a thrill

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