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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: racket · squash · bulb · capital · ruler · roll · cell · bark

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. capital — money
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. roll — a list
  11. squash — the sport
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. capital — a city
  15. roll — a cake
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cell — a phone
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bark — to shout
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bulb — for light
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — for light

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