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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: capital · temple · date · perch · bank · bulb · sharp · spring

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. date — the fruit
  4. spring — the season
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bank — of a river
  8. spring — of water
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. perch — the fish
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. capital — a city
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bank — for money
  23. capital — money
  24. sharp — clever

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