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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: mouse · bulb · pass · chair · bowl · prune · kid · face

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pass — a permit
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bulb — for light
  14. face — to confront
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. prune — to trim
  23. kid — child
  24. bulb — of a plant

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