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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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468
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 · scale · jam · rock · pit · court · capital · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. court — for sport
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pit — in a race
  7. capital — a city
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rock — music
  10. court — of a king
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. court — of law
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. scale — in music
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pound — to hit hard

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