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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
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: spell · ball · mug · tear · bulb · perch · capital · rock

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — a city
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. spell — letters
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. spell — magic
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mug — a face
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rock — a stone
  14. capital — money
  15. mug — a cup
  16. perch — the fish
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rock — music
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mug — to rob

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