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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: board · bark · current · capital · leaves · racket · can · bulb

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bulb — for light
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bark — to shout
  9. can — a tin
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. can — to be able to
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. board — to get on
  16. capital — money
  17. board — a committee
  18. capital — a city
  19. can — a tin
  20. current — happening now
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bulb — of a plant

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