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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: cell · leaves · bound · jam · file · squash · game · bulb

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bound — certain
  5. game — wild animals
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bulb — for light
  8. file — a line of people
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bound — tied together
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. file — a document
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. cell — in biology
  17. game — a match
  18. bound — obliged
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. file — a tool

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