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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: cap · rock · key · bulb · roll · mouse · hand · bound

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rock — a stone
  3. key — in music
  4. bound — tied together
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bound — certain
  16. cap — a lid
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. hand — help
  24. bound — obliged

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