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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: pop · ball · kick · foot · bank · capital · bulb · fan

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. ball — a dance
  3. capital — money
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. capital — a city
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bank — for money
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pop — soda
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bank — for money
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pop — to visit
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pop — music
  24. capital — a big letter

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