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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 120 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: nail · staff · bulb · capital · firm · cabinet · leaves · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bulb — for light
  4. staff — a stick
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. capital — money
  10. firm — a company
  11. staff — employees
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bulb — for light
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. staff — employees
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. capital — a city
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bulb — of a plant

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