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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: capital · bulb · club · pound · lie · leaves · ball · prune

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. capital — money
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. club — for dancing
  9. capital — a city
  10. ball — a dance
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pound — a weight
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. club — for golf
  23. prune — to trim
  24. leaves — to go away

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