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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: jam · clip · face · bulb · can · cabinet · mouse · racket

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. can — a tin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. face — to point toward
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — to cut
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bulb — for light

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