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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.

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: track · capital · bat · board · rest · bulb · bear · file

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. rest — what's left
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. file — a tool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bear — the animal
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rest — a break
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bulb — for light
  18. file — a document
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. board — a committee
  21. bat — the animal
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  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