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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: board · capital · hide · ground · bulb · mouse · mine · tear

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. board — a committee
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tear — to rip
  8. capital — a city
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. board — to get on
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. capital — money
  17. ground — crushed
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ground — a position
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. tear — from crying
  23. ground — the earth
  24. tear — from crying

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