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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: cap · present · bore · row · rock · spring · pound · bulb

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. bulb — for light
  4. spring — the season
  5. row — a line
  6. rock — a stone
  7. present — there
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rock — music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. spring — of water
  24. row — to paddle

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