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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · spell · bulb · capital · bat · bear · pitch · bowl

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. file — a document
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bat — the animal
  11. capital — a city
  12. pitch — completely
  13. file — a line of people
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bulb — for light
  17. file — a tool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bulb — for light
  20. capital — money
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. spell — magic
  24. bowl — a football final

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