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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: cue · pit · rule · bulb · season · nail · capital · perch

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pit — in a race
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. perch — the fish
  5. capital — a city
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cue — for pool
  8. season — of the year
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rule — government
  14. cue — a hint
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cue — a signal
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. season — in sport
  20. pit — a hole
  21. capital — money
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. nail — on a finger

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