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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · bulb · cue · leaves · capital · patient · club · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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 — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. capital — money
  5. ground — crushed
  6. club — for golf
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. club — a group
  13. bulb — for light
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ground — a position
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cue — a signal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cap — a lid
  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