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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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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: object · cabinet · roll · squash · fork · mouse · bulb · race

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. object — an aim
  4. fork — in a road
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. race — humankind
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. race — the arms race
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. object — a thing
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. object — to protest
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. race — a contest
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. mouse — 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