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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: mouse · bat · date · bulb · wake · clip · staff · bowl

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. staff — employees
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bat — the animal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wake — a trail
  8. staff — employees
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. clip — for paper
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. clip — to cut
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. clip — a video
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mouse — the animal

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