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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.

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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: saw · racket · mouse · fine · cap · spring · file · bulb

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spring — the season
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. file — a document
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fine — all right
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cap — a lid
  18. file — a line of people
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cap — of ice
  22. file — a tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cap — a hat

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