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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 · net · plane · fall · pound · deal · capital · march

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pound — a weight
  3. net — after costs
  4. bulb — for light
  5. capital — money
  6. march — the month
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bulb — for light
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. march — music
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. net — for catching
  19. capital — a city
  20. plane — a tool
  21. march — the month
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fall — the season

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