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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: bark · cap · bulb · cabinet · rush · racket · capital · drill

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. capital — money
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rush — hurry
  21. capital — a city
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bulb — for light

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