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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: bulb · rash · ball · kick · bark · can · board · capital

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. can — a tin
  3. board — to get on
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. board — a committee
  7. rash — a series
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a city
  11. can — to be able to
  12. kick — in football
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bark — to shout
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. can — a tin
  24. kick — with a leg

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