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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: mouse · saw · bulb · capital · dip · track · toast · cap

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. dip — to sink
  3. toast — bread
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. capital — a city
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. capital — money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cap — a hat
  24. track — to keep track

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