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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.

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: fork · mouse · spring · ground · nail · bulb · capital · key

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spring — of water
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. capital — a city
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. key — for a lock
  12. ground — a position
  13. key — the most important part
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ground — the earth
  18. fork — in a road
  19. key — in music
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ground — crushed
  22. spring — the season
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mouse — for a computer

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