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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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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 · mouse · kid · bulb · suit · race · clip · key

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bulb — for light
  3. key — the most important part
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. race — humankind
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. key — in music
  9. cap — of ice
  10. clip — a video
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. kid — child
  15. race — a contest
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cap — a hat
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. clip — to cut
  21. cap — a lid
  22. key — for a lock
  23. kid — to tease
  24. clip — for paper

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