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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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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: track · chest · kick · capital · bulb · ruler · bear · stick

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. capital — a city
  9. track — a song
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. track — a path
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chest — of your body
  19. capital — money
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kick — in football
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. kick — a thrill

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