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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 · band · cap · chest · stock · toast · bulb · wave

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stock — shares
  7. toast — bread
  8. stock — goods
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. band — a music group
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chest — a box
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. band — a ring
  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