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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 116 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: pit · firm · snap · fan · bulb · bowl · race · capital

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — in a race
  5. race — humankind
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. snap — to click
  9. race — a contest
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. capital — money
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. firm — steady
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. firm — a company
  17. race — the arms race
  18. capital — a city
  19. firm — decided
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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