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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: saw · sharp · cabinet · capital · patient · club · bulb · pound

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. club — a group
  8. capital — money
  9. club — for golf
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. capital — a city
  14. sharp — clever
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bulb — for light
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pound — for dogs

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