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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: capital · bore · pitcher · face · leaves · bank · bulb · degree

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. degree — temperature
  7. capital — a city
  8. bank — of a river
  9. capital — money
  10. face — to point toward
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. face — part of the head
  14. degree — an amount
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. face — to confront
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bank — for money
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bore — to drill

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