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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 116 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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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: bulb · rock · ground · fan · nail · last · pop · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. last — final
  3. rock — a stone
  4. ground — the earth
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ground — a position
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pop — soda
  13. rock — music
  14. last — to go on
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pop — music
  20. last — finally
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rock — to move gently

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