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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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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: cabinet · kick · bulb · rest · capital · band · root · march

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bulb — for light
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. march — the month
  8. bulb — for light
  9. root — the cause
  10. capital — money
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rest — a break
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. march — the month
  15. kick — in football
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rest — what's left
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. capital — a city
  22. root — of a word
  23. march — music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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