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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: safe · clip · stick · bowl · fan · capital · deal · bulb

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. clip — for paper
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. capital — money
  10. bulb — for light
  11. capital — a city
  12. clip — a video
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bulb — for light

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