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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: safe · bulb · band · capital · spell · deal · cue · club

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. capital — money
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. capital — a city
  6. club — for golf
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. band — a ring
  9. deal — to handle
  10. spell — letters
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. spell — magic
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cue — a signal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. spell — a short time
  20. club — for dancing
  21. band — a music group
  22. club — a group
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cue — a hint

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