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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 · capital · fine · pound · jam · object · ground · mug

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mug — a cup
  6. object — a thing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — the earth
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. object — an aim
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. object — to protest
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mug — a face
  21. ground — a position
  22. capital — money
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fine — all right

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