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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: can · suit · rule · leaves · bulb · present · capital · last

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. can — to be able to
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rule — a law
  7. capital — money
  8. last — final
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. can — a tin
  13. rule — government
  14. suit — to fit
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bulb — for light
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. suit — clothes
  23. present — a gift
  24. suit — in cards

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