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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: bulb · racket · capital · mug · prune · jam · chip · mark

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bulb — for light
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mug — a face
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. prune — to trim
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chip — to eat
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mark — a grade
  16. capital — a city
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mug — a cup
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bulb — for light
  22. prune — to trim
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. capital — money

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