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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: bulb · trunk · bound · mug · coach · cap · game · cabinet

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. game — a match
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. game — wild animals
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bound — tied together
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bound — obliged
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bound — certain
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bulb — of a plant

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