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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: snap · bulb · capital · deal · ground · rush · stick · content

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. content — happy
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. content — the amount
  6. ground — a position
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ground — the earth
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. snap — to click
  15. ground — crushed
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. capital — money
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bulb — for light
  24. deal — to handle

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