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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 · capital · rock · track · foot · pop · charge · file

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rock — a stone
  3. capital — money
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — music
  6. charge — in control
  7. track — to keep track
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. capital — a city
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. charge — electricity
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pop — soda
  24. charge — a price

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