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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 · track · game · bat · bulb · bound · cap · snap

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bound — tied together
  3. track — a song
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bound — certain
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cap — a lid
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. game — wild animals

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