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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: calf · tube · bulb · perch · ball · swing · capital · deal

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bulb — for light
  4. swing — to play on
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. tube — a container
  9. ball — a dance
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. perch — the fish
  20. deal — to handle
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ball — a great time

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