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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.

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: bulb · net · cabinet · ball · season · capital · spell · ruler

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. spell — letters
  3. season — of the year
  4. net — for catching
  5. capital — money
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. spell — magic
  9. net — in sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — a short time
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. net — after costs
  16. capital — a city
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — in sport
  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