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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · bulb · capital · lean · date · racket · season · ruler

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. season — of the year
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. season — in sport
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. capital — money
  23. season — to add flavour
  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