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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: ball · cap · bulb · capital · ground · nail · bound · mate

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cap — a hat
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bound — obliged
  9. ground — the earth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bound — certain
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bulb — for light
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bound — tied together
  20. ball — a great time
  21. capital — a city
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ball — a round shape

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