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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 120 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 · squash · mouse · chair · drill · rush · bat · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. drill — the tool
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bat — the animal
  22. drill — army training
  23. rush — hurry
  24. chair — to sit on

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