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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: bulb · foot · temple · stand · cell · capital · mug · prune

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cell — a phone
  9. capital — a city
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. cell — in biology
  16. prune — to trim
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. foot — a measure
  20. capital — money
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mug — a face
  24. capital — a big letter

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