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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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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: rule · fan · bulb · net · bank · season · leaves · capital

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bank — for money
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — of the year
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. rule — government
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. net — for catching
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. capital — a city
  18. net — in sport
  19. capital — money
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rule — a law
  24. net — after costs

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