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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.

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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: mouse · sharp · row · pit · suit · bulb · scale · bound

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bound — certain
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bulb — for light
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — clever
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pit — in a race
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. row — a line

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