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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: cabinet · saw · bulb · capital · charge · mine · date · tube

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mine — for digging
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. charge — in control
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. date — the fruit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. capital — a city
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bulb — for light
  19. capital — money
  20. tube — a container
  21. charge — a price
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. charge — electricity

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