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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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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 · bulb · wound · kick · cue · bay · toast · bowl

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bulb — for light
  3. capital — money
  4. kick — in football
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. capital — a city
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cue — a hint
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bulb — for light
  24. toast — bread

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