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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
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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: pitcher · can · capital · trunk · rock · key · mine · bulb

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rock — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. capital — money
  7. can — a tin
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mine — for digging
  17. can — a tin
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. key — in music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. capital — a city
  24. key — the most important part

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