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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: cabinet · rock · bulb · ruler · cold · game · mouse · deal

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. game — a match
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — not warm
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cold — an illness

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