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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: capital · cell · present · bulb · board · bore · object · bear

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. board — to get on
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. board — a committee
  7. bulb — for light
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. object — to protest
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bore — to tire
  13. present — there
  14. object — a thing
  15. cell — a phone
  16. object — an aim
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. capital — a city
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bore — to drill
  22. capital — money
  23. present — a gift
  24. bore — gave birth

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