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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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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: bass · pit · bulb · fork · nail · capital · rest · trunk

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bass — low music
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fork — in a road
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. capital — a city
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bulb — for light
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rest — a break
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rest — what's left
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rest — what's left
  24. capital — money

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