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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.

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: ball · suit · cell · mouse · file · fine · clip · bulb

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. clip — a video
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. file — a line of people
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bulb — for light
  9. file — a tool
  10. fine — all right
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. suit — clothes
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. fine — high quality
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ball — a great time
  23. file — a document
  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