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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: bulb · firm · cue · capital · mouse · bark · content · safe

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. capital — money
  3. firm — decided
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. capital — a city
  10. firm — a company
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. firm — steady
  13. cue — a hint
  14. content — the amount
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bark — to shout
  20. content — happy
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cue — for pool

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