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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: file · suit · rest · march · ground · bank · capital · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. suit — to fit
  5. file — a document
  6. bulb — for light
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. march — the month
  10. capital — a city
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ground — crushed
  13. capital — money
  14. bank — for money
  15. march — the month
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bank — for money
  18. march — music
  19. suit — clothes
  20. ground — a position
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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