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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: dip · mouse · capital · stand · bulb · leaves · band · drill

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. drill — the tool
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. band — a music group
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. drill — army training
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stand — to bear
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. capital — a city
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. drill — a practice
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mouse — for a computer

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