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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: stand · deal · rock · mine · bulb · leaves · capital · pass

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bulb — for light
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pass — a permit
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rock — music
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stand — to bear
  17. capital — a city
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pass — to spend time
  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