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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: lean · capital · spell · scale · ruler · pit · bulb · pop

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lean — thin
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pop — soda
  6. capital — money
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. scale — in music
  11. pit — a hole
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. capital — a city
  19. bulb — for light
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pop — music
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lean — to bend
  24. ruler — a monarch

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