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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 116 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: fan · content · capital · leaves · pitcher · board · bulb · straw

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. capital — money
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. capital — a city
  15. content — happy
  16. bulb — for light
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. board — to get on
  19. content — the amount
  20. board — a committee
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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