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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: bulb · row · toast · band · rule · season · temple · capital

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. toast — bread
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. row — to paddle
  6. band — a ring
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rule — a law
  10. capital — a city
  11. rule — government
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. row — a line
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bulb — for light
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. season — of the year
  19. capital — money
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. band — a music group
  24. capital — a big letter

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