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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.

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: roll · perch · file · stick · bat · capital · bulb · fan

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. capital — a city
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bulb — for light
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. perch — the fish
  17. file — a document
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. roll — a list
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. capital — money
  23. file — a tool
  24. bat — the animal

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