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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
468
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: bore · plane · bulb · fan · race · cap · capital · racket

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. race — a contest
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. capital — money
  7. cap — a hat
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cap — of ice
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. race — humankind
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bore — to tire
  20. race — the arms race
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. capital — a city
  23. bulb — for light
  24. plane — in geometry

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