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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: race · bulb · bank · lean · ground · wake · capital · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lean — thin
  5. race — humankind
  6. bank — for money
  7. ground — a position
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bank — for money
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. race — a contest
  12. lean — to bend
  13. capital — a city
  14. pop — soda
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bank — of a river
  17. capital — money
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wake — a trail
  22. race — the arms race
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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