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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: bank · capital · bulb · plane · rest · ball · spring · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. spring — of water
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bulb — for light
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. plane — a tool
  12. spring — the season
  13. capital — money
  14. track — a path
  15. ball — a great time
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. capital — a city
  21. track — a song
  22. bank — for money
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bank — for money

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