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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: net · club · mug · present · bulb · bound · pop · capital

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. capital — a city
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bulb — for light
  5. present — a gift
  6. net — in sport
  7. club — for dancing
  8. present — the time now
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. pop — soda
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pop — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bound — tied together
  20. club — for golf
  21. capital — money
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. club — a group

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