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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: bulb · rule · safe · prune · bark · object · capital · season

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. season — in sport
  3. object — an aim
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bark — to shout
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rule — government
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. prune — to trim
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. capital — a city
  18. object — to protest
  19. capital — money
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. object — a thing
  24. season — of the year

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