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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: bound · mate · fork · cap · bulb · season · racket · squash

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. season — of the year
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mate — to breed
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. season — in sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mate — a friend
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bound — certain
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bound — tied together

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