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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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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: pass · bear · capital · cold · bay · bulb · racket · nail

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. capital — money
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. capital — a city
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pass — a permit
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pass — to succeed

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