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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: mouse · saw · bulb · racket · game · board · bass · cabinet

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bass — low music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bulb — for light
  13. board — a committee
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. game — a match
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cabinet — ministers

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