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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: capital · mug · dip · saw · kick · bound · roll · bulb

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. kick — in football
  2. roll — a cake
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. capital — a city
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bound — obliged
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mug — a face
  12. bound — tied together
  13. roll — a list
  14. mug — to rob
  15. capital — money
  16. bound — certain
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. saw — the tool
  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