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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: bulb · court · fall · bound · cap · nail · cabinet · ball

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. court — of a king
  3. bound — tied together
  4. ball — a great time
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fall — the season
  13. court — for sport
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bound — obliged
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bound — certain
  21. court — of law
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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