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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: branch · ground · capital · bulb · bowl · temple

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ground — a position
  5. bulb — for light
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. capital — money
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. ground — crushed
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bulb — for light
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. branch — a division
  18. ground — the earth

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