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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: game · cell · mine · mouse · bat · suit · bulb · ruler

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bat — the animal
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. game — a match
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. game — wild animals
  20. suit — clothes
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ruler — for measuring

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