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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: bank · roll · bulb · stick · mine · firm · cap · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cap — of ice
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. firm — decided
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. firm — a company
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mine — for digging
  17. capital — a city
  18. roll — a list
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bank — for money
  23. firm — steady
  24. roll — a cake

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