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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 · rock · suit · net · spring · capital · deal · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. spring — the season
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cap — a hat
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. net — in sport
  9. cap — a lid
  10. net — after costs
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. net — for catching
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spring — a coil
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spring — of water
  23. rock — music
  24. capital — a city

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